


Life and Trails

by FabbuSkull



Series: Sensitive Doors to Open [1]
Category: Sensitive Pornograph
Genre: Angst, Beginning of a pretty decent love story, Child Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, It does get better I promise, Like more angst than I originally thought of, M/M, MajorAngst, Man I put Sono through some shit didn't I, My Mind is so messed up for writing this, No betas we die like writers, Old story being rewritten, Sad sad all kinds of sad things, Seriously why did I write this, Siblings are the best let's be real, So much angst, Suicidal Thoughts, Tragic upbringing, Unoffical Back story, love is confusing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-22
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-01-21 03:51:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con, Underage
Chapters: 18
Words: 152,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12449091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FabbuSkull/pseuds/FabbuSkull
Summary: It's perfectly normal to be curious about your loved ones life, right? To know about where they came from, what their life was like before you met them, their childhood, you know, the basic questions. It was all the things Seiji wanted to know about his love, but for reasons he couldn't grasp, he couldn't bring himself to ask. His solution?Go research his name online, of course! And feel like a creeper in the process.And it's understandable that Sono grew confused and concerned about the sudden desire. But once he finally opened up about it, Seiji found that his lover was...a bit more complicated than he originally imagined.





	1. Prolouge

**Author's Note:**

> Ohh boy, oh boy, another fan favorite from another dimension! 
> 
> Bare with me; 
> 
> This series I put a lot of time, energy and love into. I loved this manga so much, the OVA was beautiful and one thing I adored about it was its open endings, leaving room for a ton of ideas. And I started this story because I realized that often times, people who try and gain happiness through physical contact or by other means, have gone through some trauma in their earlier lives. And Sono was, by far, the best character to play around with when it came to coming up with a back story. 
> 
>  
> 
> There's a lot of love in this work and there's a LOAD of promise with it, especially with the OC's I've brought forward. 
> 
> Don't hurt me; I love you all!

***  
_Seiji's POV_

 

It's the little things, you know? Little things you notice about someone and you just sit back and smile at them. 

 

I watched as my lover, Sono, twirl his hair in his index finger, obviously focused hard on his work, his pencil tapping against his papers. It had only been several weeks since our argument (if you could even call it that) and it had felt like ages ago. Like, literal ages ago. It almost seemed as though we had been together for much, much longer than a mere few weeks. 

 

It felt strange though; I've only had a small handful of relationships in my life, most of them short and not at all satisfying. Granted, I grew up with those girls. I knew almost everything about them even before we ended up dating. Hell, I was friends with some of them and we just kinda jumped the gun and started 'dating', only to 'break up' about 2 weeks later for whatever reason. I admitted to myself I wasn't really the dating kind of guy. I wasn't at all that interesting. 

 

But something about me caught Sono's attention and that alone confused me. I wasn't going to complain though. I enjoyed his company and I loved him more than I thought I'd love someone. Even though we couldn't really...do anything in public together. For very obvious reasons. 

 

Sono had a reputation for being a slut in the manga community and by god, did that frustrate me to my core. I never saw him like that. He never gave off that vibe. Not once. 

 

From the moment I first saw him, it was like I was looking at an angel, his golden hair glowing in the setting sun through the window of the tower I was taking photos in. I was taken back at first, not sure why such a beautiful man was talking to me, giving me compliments about my work and how big a fan he was. But it didn't matter after that. Because I recalled waking up in the blonds bed, confused, terrified, but satisfied, eager to emotionally please the man I so...eagerly pleasured the night prior. 

 

I blushed greatly at the memory, hiding my face as I thought back to that stupid fight we had...I somewhat blamed Yasuda for telling me, but then, he was just being a friend and informing me of some work gossip that turned sour quickly. And like an idiot, I yelled at Sono about it without calming down to ask about why he did what he did....or why he didn't tell me.  

 

I will give him the credit he deserved though. He ran out to follow me and told me everything. How he was happy when he felt wanted and loved; physical affection seemed to always make him smile and be content with himself. All I could do was hold him, tell him it didn't matter anymore and that all I wanted at that moment was to hold him forever. I had never had this much passion for one person before and the sex we had that night was so intense, I feel as though I almost hurt him. He seemed happy as I kissed him through his orgasm, gripping onto his sheets but his legs strangling my hips...he looked so satisfied and sated.

 

But the way he said he felt happiness when he felt loved or wanted...that struck a cord in me that I couldn't shake. What did that even mean? When did that even start? 

 

It bothered me for a few days, almost to the point of frustration. Even when I stayed the night at his apartment, watching him sleep, I couldn't help but wonder why on earth he felt this way. Did that mean he was happy only when I touched him? No, I doubt that. He seemed happier even before I layed hands on him, like just me being there was enough for him now. 

 

I know I shouldn't be as concerned with this, but damn, it was eating me alive just thinking about it. 

 

It had gotten so bad that I looked up what it could possibly mean for someone to feel happiness when being touched. If anyone would tell me, it was the internet. And it helped, telling me a few things that I hadn't even thought about in the first place. The thing was...the more I read, the more concerned I became. Never had I thought of Sono with these sort of problems. 

The website I was reading told me, in a nutshell, that sometimes, people who associate themselves with the comforts of others in order to feel a sort of contentedness and peace were often victims of emotional, mental and physical abuse, combined with the repressed memory of trauma. 

My eyes widened as they continued to skim over these details. Sono? A victim of abuse and trauma? Was that even true? He had never mentioned any of this to me before...I never even thought to ask. 

Gulping down my concerns, I closed that website and sat back in my chair, running my hands through my hair and shivered. This was deeply worrisome. I never wanted to imagine Sono in a position where he wasn't able to help himself. He always seemed so in control and composed...did he really go through something in his life that caused him to have this fear of being alone?

Was that even his fear? 

I couldn't take this anymore. And I knew I couldn't ask Sono this to his face; there's no telling how he'd react. I had to figure this out for myself. 

Now the question was how to go about it? I could look up his last name. Hanasaki wasn't a common family name, at least I didn't think so, so maybe something would come up. After going back to the search engine, I typed in his family name and waited for something to catch my eye, scrolling through the usual links to his manga and interviews and things like that. And that seemed to be it; page upon page of the same shit. I was getting irritated. 

I had come close to giving up...until one link in particular immediately captured my interest. I clicked it and watched as the text began to load below a news header that read, 

**'Gun Shooting in back alley leaves city in horror and shock'**

**At 3:30 pm, April 24th, gunshots were heard in an alley on Main Street, followed by a distressing 119 call leading to what many dispatchers believe to be foul play. Hanasaki Sono (YOA 17) and Nazawa Naoki (YOA 18) were discovered at the scene, the latter suffering a gunshot wound to the hip and chest. The two were escorted to the nearest emergency room, where Naoki succumbed to his injuries and passed away at 4:45 pm. According to the statement left by Sono, he was attacked by two men on his walk home from school. Naoki had intervened, but was almost gunned down in the process. No suspects were captured at this time.'**

I leaned back once more in my chair, absolutely mind blown. Well...it was no wonder Sono never told me anything like this. Having to watch anyone get shot while being protected was traumatizing enough...but still...there had to be more than just this. This couldn't be the defining moment that messed him up this way. I grew up with a chief of police; I saw people get shot all the time, obviously not by choice. And as scary as it was, it wasn't enough to scar me. 

There had to be more to it. Sono doesn't seemed like the kind of person to lose his cool over something like this...right?

I had to know more. I was in too deep to stop now. Upon reading where the article was posted, I saw it was published from a city called Fukushima. I knew exactly where that was. Back spacing to the search engine, I typed the word 'Fukushima' after Hanasaki to see where that got me. 

Oh...it got me plenty. 

From reading for what seemed like hours when I was supposed to be working on my next volume, I discovered many things I never knew about my lover. 

I found out that he is the youngest son of a prestigious CEO of a huge law firm called 'T.K.H. Law', to a man named Kenji Hanasaki. His mothers name was Hanasaki (Nee' Asano) Naomi, a housewife. I also found out he had one sibling, an older brother named Oto, who worked as a lawyer in Tokyo. 

From there, everything else seemed blocked, like it was purposely blacked out from the searches, so my online research came to a close here. 

This had finally reached my limit of being silent; I needed to talk to Sono about this, ask him why hadn't he told me anything, demand to know why he didn't trust me with this knowledge. 

So many accusations rang in my brain and I didn't know how to outlet them properly. I printed off the article of the shooting and stuffed it into my bag, my anger and frustration settling into my loins and it continued to fester even as I left work that afternoon, making my way towards Sono's apartment. 

But as I turned the corner and saw the light in his kitchen was on, I stopped walking and mentally slapped myself for what I was thinking of doing. 

There was, more than likely, a damn good reason why Sono wouldn't tell me anything about this. Why would he? No one wants to talk about seeing one of their classmates get shot and then die. It was clearly upsetting. But damnit, I had to know. I don't even remember why it was I was doing this, but after all this digging, I felt like I needed the answers. 

With that in mind, I walked up to his home and entered with the spare key, finding him at his work desk, drinking tea with a smile. A surprised smile, but it was still a beautiful smile. 

"Seiji-kun, what a surprise. I wasn't expecting you until later tonight. Did you finish work early?"

I couldn't find words at that point. My eyes locked to his, watching them glaze in confusion. I watched as he stood and walked towards me, that gleam in his deep brown eyes that I could get lost in. I reached out to caress his cheek, leaning down to kiss him like I always did, seeing how he leaned up to meet me halfway. 

That's when I stopped and backed away from him, almost angry at myself for allowing myself to forget my reason for being here. And it clearly did not go unnoticed by Sono, who looked perplexed and hurt that I backed away from a kiss. He remained calm, tilting his head and asked, 

"Is everything alright? You look troubled. Did something happen at work?"

"...Kinda..."

"Well, what is it? How can I help?"

He set his gaze on my bag and then back to me, almost expecting me to answer with a common work issue. And I sighed, not knowing any other way to do this. Slowly, I pulled out the article from my bag and with a shaking hand, I handed it to him. He took it with his free hand, confusion all over his face as he unfolded it and his eyes scanned it.

The cup he was holding fell out of his hand and crashed to the carpet as his eyes widened suddenly; I swore I saw him start to stumble a bit. And the way he paled ever so quickly made me realize right then and there that I had made a terrible mistake in doing any of this. 

With eyes that looked as though they had seen a ghost, he looked at me and asked, 

"Where did you find this?"

I couldn't help it. The way his eyes widened at me, almost as if he was ready to break down in an instant... I cracked under his gaze and immediately began pleading for him not to kill me. 

"Sono-san, I'm so sorry. I...I don't know what happened. I started thinking about you at work and how you told me about how you used to feel a certain way when you felt wanted and I felt so angry about that...I did research and found out that some people that go through that are people who suffer from some kind of abuse or trauma. And I didn't even think about that possibility so I looked up your name and found out where you used to live, your family, this article. I went too far and invaded where I shouldn't have...But I didn't know how to react to something like this and I felt hurt that you didn't tell me...but I know why. At least I should have known why. I'm so sorry. Please don't be angry with me."

He didn't say anything at first...he just continued to look at me, occasionally looking at the article in his hand and finally, he sighed, turning to sit on his couch, setting the paper down on the coffee table. I wanted to sit next to him, hold him in case he needed it, but for now, it looked as though he just wanted to be...well, be. So I remained rooted in the doorway, waiting for him to say something, anything. I wasn't used to him being so silent.

He finally looked up at me and said, 

"I'm honestly surprised you found this so fascinating. If you wanted to know, why didn't you just ask me?"

A blush graced my cheeks as I stammered for a moment, saying, 

"Wh-what? How was I supposed to know how you'd react? I thought you'd be angry with me."

"Angry? No no, far from that. It's just...something I haven't thought about in a while. I mean...I didn't have the best childhood ever, but it did help me...sort of. I went through some things I wouldn't wish on anyone. And I never really felt the need to tell anyone about it. I was always afraid their opinions of me would change or be ruined."

Was that a tremble? Did I just see Sono-san tremble? Quick on my feet, I sat next to him and wrapped my arm around his shoulder, rubbing him softly until he looked me in the eye, asking, 

"Do you really want to know, Seiij-kun? I mean...I'm no sure why you're so curious."

"I don't even know, honestly. I read that article and I suddenly became obsessed. But I also didn't want to pressure you into telling me."

"No, it's fine. I think I might actually need this. These feelings...these ghosts...I've locked them up for such a long time that maybe telling them to you can help me get past them. Though, I won't lie, I'm not good with these things and you might not like what you're going to hear."

This was really happening. Sono was really going to let me in. This was such a huge step forward for us and I beamed, trying hard to hold it back as he inhaled, whispering, 

"Please...I don't ask for much from you..all I want is your understanding..."

"You have that and then some, Sono-san. Just talk to me. Help me understand you better."

He smiled at me and took my hands in his, leaning over to kiss my lips softly, whispering against my mouth, 

"I was 6 when it first happened..that was when I found out how cruel life is..how I found out that even terrible things can happen to anyone, especially children..and I was scared, Seiji...that the first time I actually felt pure fear..."

_TBC_

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone has read this story on FF.net, then you'll probably notice some changes that have been done to it. It had to be done to be more 'modern' I guess. Haha. 
> 
> But be aware that writing a 6 year old whose gone through some 'things' is incredibly hard to do, but I feel the way I have it down (wither it's my older version or the newer version) gives it justice. 
> 
> At least I think so. Hopefully you all enjoy it too!

_26 years ago_

 

Sundays in Japan are considered to be full of leisure and relaxation with friends and family. To that extent, Sundays in Fukushima are equally as relaxing, especially in the upper class areas. The parks were filled with people, enjoying the warm weather while it lasted before Autumn made its appearance.

At one such park, just under a large shrubbery, a child sat on his knees, looking over the bushes into the small section of the streets, seeing the people walk in and out of cafes and shops, his brown eyes gliding back and forth along the road. He had been sitting there for what seemed like an eternity, pouting to himself as he counted in his head how long it would take for him to cry out for attention just out of bordem.

He sighed; people watching was so boring at this age, but of course, he was told to stay where he was at. And of course, it was also that mix of hot with a cool breeze, so he couldn't tell if he was burning up or shivering cold. Either way, he was sick of sitting around. 

He grumbled to himself, 

"Ni-san better hurry up. I'm bored..."

Groaning, the boy rubbed the sleepy feeling from his eyes, almost as soon as he heard yelling from across the street. Eyes snapping open, he watched as a boy with darker blond hair was sprinting across the streets, all while being chased by a man with a broom, calling him a thief. But the boy was so fast that the man couldn't catch up and soon, he turned around and walked back to his store. 

The smaller boy marveled at how fast the boy went and was able to get away from that man, internally wishing he could run that fast. No sooner as he thought that, the bush he was hiding in rustled and that dark blond haired boy appeared, breathing heavily as he sat next to him. The smaller boy grumbled, 

"You're late..."

"Oh shut up...you try to hide all this candy in a small jacket. I told you to bring your backpack, but nooo. You didn't want to ruin the new one mommy bought for you. Now I nearly got caught and my pockets are probably coated in chocolate."

The boy sighed and sat up properly, instantly noticing how the childs eyes widened at the word 'chocolate'. He sighed and reached into his pockets, pulling out two bags. One with chocolate and the other with small caramels. 

"Yeah yeah, I know all you want is your stupid chocolate. Here. Don't tell mom I let you have desserts before dinner. She'll kill us both."

The boy beamed as he took the bag of chocolate, opened it and inhaled the sweet scent, smiling brightly as he hugged the boy, crying out, 

"Thank you so much, Oto-nisan! They smell so good!"

The boy, Oto, smiled softly and patted the boy on his small back, bringing him closer and said, 

"Yeah, you're welcome, Sono. Just don't eat them too fast this time. I won't be held accountable if you get sick. Got it?"

"K!"

And with that, there was utter silence between the two as the child began to eat his chocolates while Oto opened his bag of caramels, popping one at a time into his mouth. It was peaceful sort of silence between them as they occasionally people watched through the bushes, though they were safely hidden from everyones sight. 

After a while, with a mouth full of chocolate, Sono tapped his brothers leg, earning his attention and asked, 

"Ni-san, why do you have magazines under your bed?"

The sudden question itself made Oto nearly choke on his candy, not to mention the blunt tone his brother used when asking. Oto swallowed his caramel and took a few seconds to catch his breath, turning his head to glare at his brother with a red flush on his cheeks. 

"You...what...how the heck could you possibly...have you been going into my room again? Damnit, you brat. I told you time and time again to stop going into my room when I'm not there! What were you even looking for anyways?!"

"I was trying to see if you had any of my coloring books stashed away from me...I was bored."

"Why in gods name would I have something so stupid stashed in my room? Did you ever stop to think mom or dad put your stupid books elsewhere? Oh but of course big brother is the one hiding them."

"I was only checking..."

"But you do this all the time! Stop going into my room, Sono; I'm sick of telling you that! And h-how did you find the magazines under my bed!? I hid those so no one could find them!"

The child tiled his head and popped another chocolate into his mouth, saying, 

"You mean the shelf attached to the bottom of your box spring? Ni-san, that thing isn't the least bit sneaky. If mom were making your bed, she'd be able to see it..."

Oto paled instantly and the child giggled, feeling cocky and was ready to pop another chocolate into his mouth, only for it to be slapped out of his hand, along with the bag that flung the rest of the candy onto the grass. His brown eyes widened when he saw his sweets fall to the dirt, but didn't get much time to think about it as he was suddenly gripped by his brother, looking into dark eyes behind his glasses. 

"You're a brat and I am almost regretting bringing you out here with me. It's already been a long week and all I wanted to do was spend time with my friends on the only day I don't have to worry about my studies... and I have to spend it babysitting you."

With that, Oto released his brother and stood, stuffing his candy back in his pockets, running his fingers through his hair and said, 

"Forget it. Let's just get home. I want to be able to beat mom and dad back so they won't know we left the house to go get candy."

He gathered his belongings and peered around to see if anyone was watching, nodding to himself when he noticed it was clear. He turned to stare at the boy, only to see he hadn't moved from his position and his big brown eyes were leaking with tears. His pale face was scrunched up and red from the effort he made to not cry so loudly. And Oto quickly caught on to the feeling and sighed. 

Yes, it had been a long week; entry exams for the middle schools were driving him crazy, especially as their father kept pushing him to get into the best secondary school in Fukushima. He had been studying for months and put off time with his friends just so he could get into the school he wanted. So yes, he was stressed. 

But he also knew he shouldn't take his frustrations out on his 6 year old brother. 

Getting back down to his level, he set his hand on the boys shoulder, feeling him shake and hearing such pathetic sniffles. Oto sighed again and said, 

"Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be so rude. I'm just tired. I really did want to just relax on my off day...but I don't mind relaxing with you. Heck, I was excited at first. And I guess the brunt of the last few weeks just caught up with me. I'm really sorry, Sono. I didn't mean to snap off at you."

The boy looked up at him, his eyes wet with tears as he mumbled through his crying, 

"B-But...then why..why did we..come out here?"

God, his baby brother was too cute, even as he cried like this. Oto smiled and pulled him in for a hug, rubbing the back of his hair the way he liked and said, 

"My brother wanted candy. And what kind of big brother would I be if I refused such a cute request...though I guess I ruined it by smacking it out of your hand, didn't I? That's fine. You can have the rest of my caramels. I was done with them anyway."

Through his wet eyes, the brown orbs beamed suddenly as he asked, 

"You mean it? Really?!"

"Yup. Just be sure to hide them somewhere in your room as soon as we get home. If mom or dad find out I stole candy for us, there's no telling what kind of trouble we'd be in. Now, let's go. I wanna beat them back."

Sono nodded and wiped his eyes with his sleeve, standing up with his brother and followed him out of the brush, clutching onto his arm as he lead them slowly out of the park, keeping an eye out for that shopkeep. 

Oto nodded at him, saying, 

"Coast is clear. I think I know a way back to the train station from here where we don't have to--eek!"

Both boys stopped in their tracks as someone grabbed the back of both their shirts, lifting them off the grass and they struggled hard, only freezing as they heard, 

"Christ, you two can't listen for anything, can you? Be glad it's just me and not Naomi, or worse....Kenji-san. I have half a mind to call him and tell him I caught his two boys out here after getting an interesting phone call from this area."

The voice made Oto slowly turn his head to face the man who caught them and when Sono did the same, both of their faces paled. 

Akikura Henia, their fathers loyal assistant. He had met the two of them enough times to consider them part of his own family, as their father was a mentor to him, and as a result, it meant being the boys unofficial babysitter if they both got into trouble. He was a strong man, though not stacked by any means. And his cold stone stare dug deep into their eyes as he said, 

"Lucky for you two, I'm in a good mood. I'll drive you home, but the second I see your mother, she's getting an earful of the conversation I just had with a Mr. Yoshida of Solid Sweets...you better count your blessings your dad was in a meeting. Now get in the car, both of you."

Henia released them both before turning to walk to his car, occasionally looking back to see if the boys were following him. They were and they had looks of defeat on their faces. The man groaned to himself. He hated being the bad guy with them; He was like an uncle to them. He was there when both of them were born. He clearly didn't like having to punish them by ratting them out to their parents. 

So once they got in the car and Henia began driving down the road to get to their large house, he looked in the back seat to see Oto staring out the window while Sono was wiping stray tears from his eyes. He sighed. 

"Listen...I won't tell your mom about today. And I sure as hell won't say anything to Kenji-san about it. Just so long as you too stay out of trouble. Last thing I want is for my boss to stress about his kids getting into some bad situation. Stealing candy is one thing; Don't get too used to getting away with it that easily. Got it?"

Oto looked at the man through the mirror and smiled at him, nodding while the boy next to him nodded frantically. Henia smiled back at them, saying, 

"Good, glad we understand each other. With that out of the way, how's school going, Oto? Did you take your entrance exam yet?"

"..No, not yet. I've been studying like crazy, but dad thinks I'll get in no problem. I hope so. I wanna be a lawyer and work for him one day, maybe take over."

"Smart man. Kenji talks about your improved test scores to the office all the time and I can tell how proud he is of you. I have no doubts you'll get into that fancy ass middle school, then work your way up to that new high school they've got for higher grade students.....by the way, Sono. I saw that drawing you did of the new schools garden in the paper. Very beautiful. One would think an older artist drew that up."

Sono blushed and twirled his blond hair in his finger, mumbling his thanks. But Oto smiled and said, with great enthusiasm, 

"Right?! You should have seen those editors faces when mom and dad took that drawing to them to be published. They were blown away that a 6 year old drew that! Sono's gotten so good at what he does and he's still in grade school."

"Haha, I gather. Is that what you want to be when you grow up, Sono? An artist? Get good at it and you'll be famous."

"An artist, sure. But lately, he's been asking for those manga training books. The ones with the blank pages. I think he secretly wants to be a manga-ka, but that's just my opinion. He'd be really good at it. I mean, he won that 200¥ prize for that mini comic contest for his school."

 

Henia chuckled and left the conversation at that when he began to notice Sono seemed...uncomfortable with the praise. He was still so young and to have such a beautiful talent at his fingertips. It was quite astounding. 

Oto was already showing great promise in becoming a lawyer for his fathers company and Sono had already shown Fukushima his masterful artistic talents. They truly were Kenji and Naomi's sons. The thought made him smile as he pulled into their driveway, the smile dropping instantly as he saw Naomi waiting at the front door, arms crossed and a scowl on her face. He cringed. 

"Well, it looks as though I can't save you boys here. Try not to make your momma more angry at you. Best of luck."

The boys nodded and got out of the car, heads down as they walked up the stone walkway and up towards their clearly angry mother, who said, 

"Oto Hanasaki, where have you been? I come home to a quiet house, rooms empty, no note, nothing. I thought we told you over 100 times. When you babysit your brother, you are not to leave this house unless I or your father say it's ok. God only knows what could've happened."

Oto said nothing at first, looking down at his feet as he kicked a small rock, brown eyes looking towards his brother, who looked at him through his blond hair, almost scared. But the boy gulped and said, 

"I was babysitting him, mom. We didn't go very far. We just walked down the road and we must have taken a wrong turn somewhere. But I called dads office and asked if he could come pick us up, but Henia said he was in a meeting so he came to get us."

Naomi's eyes darkened as they narrowed, shifting to her youngest son, who had been so quiet. Her eyes then locked on something at the top of his lip. 

"Sono, what's on your mouth?"

The boy jumped and looked at this brother with wide eyes, wiping off the evidence that was so clearly chocolate, but then Oto spoke up again.

"That was my fault, momma. We were fooling around near a ditch waiting for Henia and I pushed him too hard and he fell into a bush. I didn't realize he had mud on his face. B-but he's fine, I promise!"

The amount of times Oto was internally praying for a miracle that his mother would believe him was too large for him to count. His mother was not naive, nor was she stupid.

Naomi Hanasaki had the eyes of a mother hawk, ready to strike at any given moment. Nothing got past her, not even outside their home. She had such a dormant fury that if pushed too far, it'd be like a volcanic eruption unlike anything the world would see. 

But as he thought about all the scenarios of his mother blowing up on him flew through his brain, he heard her sigh and say with a stern tone, 

"Oto, when I asked you to babysit Sono today, I didn't mean getting you both lost and filthy with whatever it was you were doing. Now I can handle you going out somewhere, but at the very least, leave a note so I don't panic and immediately assume the worst. Can you promise me that?"

"Yes momma."

She sighed again and wiped her hands on her apron, saying, 

"Good. That settles that at least. I still feel I should punish you though, Oto. You both seriously could've gotten hurt....You're grounded for the next two weeks. And the next time I ask you to babysit, you are NOT to leave this house. Is that clear?"

Oto nodded again and that was the end of that conversation. Naomi shifted moods almost instantly as she smiled and said, 

"Great. Now, both of you upstairs and get cleaned up. Your fathers getting off early and I got dinner started. I'm so excited. Hopefully his meeting went well...what are you two gawking for? Upstairs and in the tub. Chop chop."

Both boys stared up at each other for a moment before running in the house and removing their shoes, making their way to the stair case, avoiding their mothers sharp gaze. Oto felt like she knew he had been caught in a lie. Granted, it wouldn't be the first time either. She certainly had a way to make him feel like the guilty party without even saying a word. And he knew better. He knew better than to put his little brother in a terrible position, lie or not.

The two boys had separated to their own rooms to change and the moment Sono shut his door, he sighed to himself, pulling out the bag of candy his brother gave him. A cheeky smile came upon his face as he tossed the bag on his bed and removed his dirty jacket, tossing it in the hamper. And while the boy was feeling particularly good about how today had gone, he felt deflated when he thought about how his brother had once again gotten in trouble for him. Oto was always taking the blame for him.

He really should have been honest and told his mother about how he was practically begging his brother to take him out to get some candy. But knowing Oto, he'd change that story again so the boy would get only a lighter punishment. Sono was truly spoiled by his older brother and he was thankful for that. But he didn't want to always be the one getting off free while the other took all the blame.

But he knew why Oto was like this. It wasn't a secret at all. This was his way of protecting the boy from any further scares or troubles...like when he was 4. The chill of being locked in that basement for as long as he was still sent a shiver up his spine, but he ignored it, calling himself a baby for being so scared like that. And Oto had apologized nonstop because of it, taking great care of bending to his baby brothers wants and concerns. It was satisfying, albeit not all necessary. It was a simple mistake. Any older sibling could have done it.

Well...not all older siblings can say their father is Kenji Hanasaki, who has such a short fuse. Oto had gotten such a verbal beat down over his mistake and being grounded for over 2 months would certainly cause any kid to whip themselves into shape. It was probably the main reason Oto was so dedicated to his studies, to his friends and to his family. He didn't want to go through that scare ever again.

Sono looked at himself in the mirror for a moment, debating on combing his hair, even knowing his blond locks would never listen to him. His hair was too wild. He sighed and eventually made his way to his dresser, pulling out new clothes, looking over at his clock, his brown eyes beaming suddenly.

Mother had said that daddy was getting off early, which meant he'd be home at 5. Which meant dinner would almost be ready around that time. With an excited jump, he pulled out fresh clothes and ran to his bathroom to change, immediately forgetting the problems of today. He recalled as they walked in the house smelling like pork and yakitori sauce...which happened to be one of his favorite meals. No doubt his mom would have made ginger biscuits to go with it.

Excitement aside, he let out a childish groan and immediately flopped on his bed after changing and cried out,

"I'm hungry again!" to nobody in particular.

But in a split second, he heard his brother say outside his door,

"Shut up and get down here, brat! I'm hungry too!"

Sono blushed at that, but laughed and flung himself off the bed and to the door. It was still such a good day, all problems aside....for the most part.

\--

Sono kicked at the air as he sat in his chair, staring at the front door, waiting for his father to come home, ready to pounce. He occasionally sipped at his juice while Oto ate some biscuits, Naomi drinking her wine. It was a comforting silence, but the 6 year old was getting ansy. 

Turning to his mother, he asked, 

"Mommy, when's daddy going to be home? You said 5 and it's 5:03."

Naomi chuckled and set her glass down, reaching over to ruffle her sons wild yellow hair, which he inherited from her. 

"Calm down, little monkey. I said he's getting off early...which I know means 5. Haha, but he'll be home soon. 5 pm traffic is terrible anywhere in the world."

Sono sighed impatiently, but Oto chuckled and said, 

"Yeah, I hear in America, it's terrible. Like New York apparently has constant traffic, but in the late afternoon, it's hell to get through."

"True that. Kenji and Henia mentioned it a lot when they came back from America, saying they HATED sitting in taxis in the afternoon. Apparently, that's why not a lot of people in the states have their drivers licenses. Makes travel in their neighborhoods easier....oh and watch your mouth, Oto. Don't want another week stacked ontop, do we?"

The younger boy snickered at his brother, who kicked him lightly under the table as he drank his water. Naomi smiled and took a nibble of her own biscuit, eyes shifting to the dining room window as she saw headlights peering through, catching both her boys attention. Mostly Sonos though.

He bolted from his chair, crying out, 

"Dad's home!"

And with that, he ran from the table and out the front door, throwing himself into the mans arms just as he got out of the car, wrapping his small arms around the mans neck. His heart rang as he felt his fathers arms wrap around his tiny body, hugging him tightly, saying, 

"Ease up on your grip, kiddo. I'd like to eat dinner before you suffocate me with your attention."

The boy gave a toothy grin and asked his father how work was, to which Kenji smiled and carried the boy inside, sitting him back in his chair and walked over to kiss his wife hello, greeting Oto with a hug and a kiss to the head before sitting down, untying his tie and finally, he looked at Sono, who was smiling at him and he smiled back. 

"Work was great. But I'm glad it's over. And before you ask, Naomi, the meeting went well. But we won't hear back until next week."

"Seriously? Ugh, you take too long with these things. You're too nice to these men, Kenji. You're a hardass, so start acting like a hardass."

He laughed and poured himself some wine while his sons began eating their food. And the remainder of their night was left in comforting jokes and snarky humor, just the way he liked to end his work days. 

He'd ask the family about their day and Naomi would talk about her trips shopping with her friends, alongside great deals she found in the grocery store, laughing about how she got excited that milk had gone down in price. The boys would talk about how they watched tv most of the day before Naomi butted in with Oto's grounding for sneaking away without saying anything. Kenji laughed at that, telling them it was alright and just to be careful if they left the house.

They nodded and the family went back to eating in blissful silence.

After dinner, they found themselves in the lounge watching tv, with Sono planted on his lap like always, talking excitedly about a new drawing idea he had or how he saw a new manga training book he wanted to try and get. Kenji smiled and kissed the boys head, telling him to just relax and no doubt he'd buy it later to surprise him. Oto had mentioned how his studies were going well and how excited he was to take the exams, to which Kenji smiled brightly, praising his older sons hard work. Naomi had then shown up with after dinner treats, little daifuku she had picked up at the store with some chocolate tea and sugar cookies. This was how they usually always ended their nights as a family, especially after a great day like today. And per usual, at around 8:45, Kenji and Naomi would take their boys upstairs to get them in bed, wishing them sweet dreams before retiring for the night. A simple evening, but it was perfect. The only other reason Kenji savored these moments was mainly because he dreaded taking the boys to school the next day. Not for any other concern other than he was always expecting a call regarding Oto's unintentional pretentious attitude regarding his quick advancements in school....or a call regarding Sono's inability to socialize with the other kids. He knew his kids were precious to him; he wouldn't allow anyone to talk down about them in some way. But he also knew they were...not the best when interacting with most people. Sono especially. Even when he was in day care, he flat out refused to play with the other kids, opting instead to be by himself. And while other teachers had suggested moving him to other schools or classrooms, Kenji and Naomi didn't see much of a concern. Their son was just different. That wasn't a bad thing, was it?

\--

The bell for the end of the school day finally went off and the kids bolted out the door, heading for the jungle gym, waiting for their rides.

Sono, however, walked to his favorite tree with his sketchbook, sat under the leaves and let out a loud exhale. The autumn air was crisp and cozy. Perfect drawing outdoors weather. He opened his sketchbook, looked around the playground, instantly feeling the other kids looking at him and scowling, murmuring to themselves about him...nothing out of the ordinary.

School was always a boring, if not more obnoxious, experience for Sono. Not because he didn't know the material, far from it. He could easily surpass any of the other kids in his class, even for as young as he was. No, the academics were not what he was bored of during school. 

It was the fact that he didn't really like to socialize with anyone, in or out of class. During art projects, when it was insisted that the children work in groups, Sono would be by himself, working quietly in the corner, working faster than the other groups. He wouldn't really speak to the other students unless he had to and he wouldn't make much effort to play with them at recess. 

He'd simply seclude himself under his tree and pull out his sketchbook, drawing whatever interested him at the time or whatever was tumbling in his brain during class. It was quiet and it was peaceful time just for him. It didn't bother him much...or it wouldn't had it not been for the words the other kids would call him behind his back...or to his face. He wasn't a stranger to either.

It was not unknown who Sono Hansaki was. The child of the most wealthiest man in Fukushima, Japan. His older brother had already skipped a grade and was already preparing to take the middle school entrance exams. To top off that the child was not the most talkative person in his grade school, it was not surprising that the other kids had taken to calling him a snob. 

It certainly didn't help when he would mouth off to them a few times just for bothering him when he worked.

But at 6 years old, he didn't care about them. He just wanted to draw. And that's what he was gonna do. The words didn't bother him that much. Yeah, the sort of hurt his childish heart, but he was taught to not care about what others thought about him. A lesson his father taught him often. 

Today, however, felt different than before. And that didn't necessarily mean a bad feeling. 

It had started when the teacher introduced a new kid to the class, not that Sono had payed attention. He heard the kids clamoring on and on about the new kid, but nothing really drew his attention from the book he was reading...rather the manga he was reading.

Sono had noticed the new kid was sitting a few seats away from him, giving him a good look when he felt the want to. He didn't really catch his name or anything like that, but all he could make out was the fact that his hair was as black as the night sky and his skin was super pale. But he had an interesting aura to him, like he was different from the others; though Sono couldn't tell why.

By the last activity of the day, the boy had forgotten about the new kid and went back to what he was doing. And he couldn't help but feel like the kid would stare at him every so often. Though, when he looked up at him, he saw the kid talking to the others. It was his imagination going crazy it seemed.

So, at end of the school day, he sat under his tree and began to draw the swing set the other kids were playing on, ignoring some of their stares. He was deep into his art, not really focusing on anything else. 

Though, at some point, he did feel the presence of someone walking up to him, most likely a teacher, so he was quick to push the feeling aside as he finished the primary sketch. That was when he heard someone with a loud, yet soft voice, say, 

"That looks awesome! I didn't know anyone here could draw this good."

The suddenness of it made Sono gasp and jump, his pencil trailing all in the wrong direction, effectively ruining his work. His face paled; he had never had something like this happen to him before and he felt a feeling he hadn't felt before.

He actually felt frustrated. 

He snapped his head around with the intent of growling loudly and yelling at the person who made him mess up his drawing, like he did so often. But once he turned, his face regained color and his brown eyes widened suddenly. 

He was staring at the new kid from his class and was now given a fuller picture of who he was...well, kind of. 

He was dressed in a red and black shirt and jacket combo with dark grey pants. It complimented his black hair and pale skin perfectly....not to mention his eyes. 

This boy had to have had the most bluest eyes Sono had ever seen. It was like they were crystals mixed with sapphire...they were actually beautiful. And for someone who had such an artistic sense at such a young age, Sono was known to see beauty. 

The boy smiled at him and patted his head, saying, 

"Sorry if I scared you. You looked like you needed someone to play with. All these others kids are fun and all, but I saw you sitting here all by yourself. And they all told me you were some snob but you don't give off that vibe. You seem kinda lonely. I was gonna play with those kids other there, but I'm bored with them anyway."

The boy sat down next to him, opening up a bag he had pulled from his pocket. Sono blushed a little and looked away, noticing how the other kids were once again staring at him. He inwardly groaned. Being the loner was easy. Having someone suddenly come up and talk to you when you were used to being alone? It was weird, he wasn't used to it.

Peering over, he noticed the boy had taken out a bag of candy, looking like bits of chocolate....dark chocolate. His eyes gleamed a little; chocolate was always his weakness. The boy smiled and pulled out a piece, handing it to him, saying,

"I figured you'd be a chocolate kind of kid. My dad loves this stuff and I kinda like it too....glad you enjoyed that."

Sono swallowed slowly, blush still plastered on his face and he chuckled, saying,

"Th-thanks.."

"Not a problem. I know a lot of kids our age don't like dark chocolate cause it's kinda bitter, but personally, it's better than milk chocolate. Too sweet for my taste."

"I feel the same. My brother likes caramel more than chocolate and I make fun of him a lot...glad to know there's someone else to has my taste."

The new kid laughed and ruffled the blond hair wildly, making Sono laugh himself. Well, this was something else. Sono never felt this kind of interaction before with anyone aside from his family. And he had to admit...it was very nice to talk to someone his own age. After calming his laughter for a moment, he wiped his eyes and asked,

"So..haha...so um...you're new here...when did you move to this district?"

"Well, after my parents got divorced, my dad thought it would be best if I was home schooled for a little while. Then it just got dull and he put me in this school. I've actually been coming here for a few days and everyone has been very nice. But they moved me to another class when I couldn't get along with the teacher. Honestly, your class is much more fun and easy to deal with."

"That's nice to hear. Yeah, my class is a bunch of smart kids I guess. But I'm glad you like it here....what did you mean when you said the other kids bored you?"

"Not so much bored me as they seemed like they try to hard. Do they always try to schmooze up to the new kids?"

Sono laughed again and wiped his eyes, absolutely loving the way the kid asked that question. He wasn't wrong though. This class was known to kiss up to the new kids all the time. So when the kid watched as he laughed, he smiled and said,

"Guess that's the truth, huh. Good to know. Now I know who to avoid in the future. You seem easier to talk to anyway. Which reminds me, how come you're sitting here by yourself? I heard from the others you were kind of a snob, but you seem too shy. Are they bullying you?"

"What? Oh no, nothing like that. Honestly, I'm more surprised that I'm not bullied by them. They all leave me alone to do my own thing and they just talk about me either to my face or behind my back...I guess that's bullying, but I'm not bothered by it. I mean, the question kinda answers itself. They call me weird and a snob because I like being by myself rather than play with the others. Not that it matters. If I ever ask to play, they give me mean looks and tell me no. It's a weird cycle. Haha. But I'm not worried."

The look the kid was giving him made Sono feel much better about the conversation he was having. In a matter of minutes just chatting with him, he felt as though he had accomplished something he'd never thought about.

"Oh! That's right, I was also gonna ask if you wanted to play on the slides for a bit. Just before your ride gets here."

Sono said nothing at that, but averted his eyes, suddenly feeling his skin crawl with nerves. No one had ever asked him to play with them ever, at least not with such enthusiasm. It was such a weird feeling to be asked. He clutched his sketchbook tighter against his chest, eventually looking back up to the kids eyes. 

Well...he seemed nice. And he did say he didn't notice a snobby vibe off him. Maybe Sono could change up his routine just this once. He set his book in his bag and settled it against his back as he stood, nodding. 

The boy beamed at him and took his hand, which Sono noticed was incredibly soft, as he was dragged to the slides. 

And while the rest of their time was...awkward...Sono actually had fun with this boy. They played through the rest of recess, talking and telling jokes, interacting on a level the blond didn't even know he knew. 

Finally, as a string of cars started pulling up to the school, alongside some buses and students began piling out to the pick up area, Sono caught sight of his fathers car and gathered his things while walking and talking more with the boy. He was really sweet, a great person to talk to. He was also...someone that he felt easier around. Like he finally found a reason to be happy to come to school. The boy patted his head and asked with a toothy grin,

"Hey, do you wanna be part of my group tomorrow? I don't know very many people here and I had fun playing with you today. Sorry if I came off as weird by the way. I don't know how to make friends so I sorta need to be forward."

Sono smiled at him. Maybe he had more in common with this boy than he thought.

"It's ok. I'm the same way. Just not with being forward. Haha, I'm actually the opposite. I'm no good at talking to people so friends are not my strong suit. But yeah, I'll be in your group tomorrow. You seem great. Oh, I never did get your name."

The kids blue eyes narrowed a little in confusion.

"They introduced me in class today, though."

Sono laughed and scratched the back of his head, a faint pink tint on his cheeks. God, would he ever stop blushing.

"Yeah, I didn't pay much attention. I'm sorry. I don't focus on people a whole lot. I'm weird, I know."

The boy laughed at that and Sono found it to be such a comforting sound. His brown eyes started to glow. Did he actually do it? Was he actually getting along with someone other than his own family? His laugh was so sweet sounding. His voice caught up faster than his head did as he said,

"My names Sono. Hanasaki Sono. It's nice to meet you."

The boy smiled at him, taking his hand and said, 

"Mizuno Takeo. And it's nice to meet you too. I'll see you tomorrow, Sono."

"Yeah! I'll see you tomorrow, Takeo."

Sono left with a toothy grin of his own as he piled into his dads car and waved as he was driven off. As he settled in the back seat, he heard Kenji ask, 

"Well well, someones in a good mood. Who was that kid you were talking to, honey?"

The blond looked at his father for a moment, not wanting to sound so forward and too overly enthusiastic....oh he didn't care. He was thrilled to his little core. 

"That was Takeo, daddy. He's my new friend I made today. He's new at our school."

"A new friend? Good for you, Sono. I was starting to wonder when you'd start making some friends at school. We'll have to have him over sometime. I know your mother will be happy to hear that. And I have to say, I knew today was going to be a good day when I didn't get a call from your teacher again."

"She didn't call you today? Well then, I must be getting better at hiding my attitude lately. I think that calls for some ice cream, right dad?"

"Don't push it, kiddo. Haha. Naomi would shoot me if I gave you dessert before dinner. Oh, but I do have a surprise for you. It's in the back seat compartment."

All the gears in Sonos head began to turn rapidly as he opened the compartment and pulled out what was obviously a wrapped book. Thinking it was another manga for him to look over, he tore open the wrapping paper and was thrown for a loop when he saw that it was not at all a manga...but a manga training booklet. The very one he was telling his father about last night. His brown eyes trailed to his fathers eyes staring at him through the rear view mirror and a laugh left the mans throat.

"I take it you like it."

Kenji was not given an immediate response, but chuckled when his sons arms wrapped around the seat to hug him tightly, loudly proclaiming his thanks and a kiss to the cheek. Once at a stop light, Kenji turned to give his son a kiss back on his head, calmly telling him to sit back down and to say 'you're welcome.' Naomi was right. He did spoil Sono a bit too much.

"I figure since you already take all your brothers manga to compare art styles, don't think I didn't hear Oto complaining you were making notes in his books, this was a better step forward. Your art style is getting much better and I know how much you want to learn about manga illustration."

"Daddy, you're the best! I thought I'd have to wait for Christmas like last year! I can't wait to get started! I already have so many ideas! Oh, can we stop at the store to pick up pencils?"

Kenji said nothing, but reached into his glove box to pull out a brand new box of pencils and pens, much to his youngest sons absolute joy. A smug look came over Sonos face as he settled back into his seat and said,

"You know me so well."

"Well, considering I'm the one who bought you your first set of manga booklets, I'd say I know what you want when you get new material. Haha. I know you're excited, honey. But remember that homework comes before this. Alright? Your grades are looking fantastic and I don't want you to slip because of this. And if you finish this year with all A's, I'll take you to that new store they opened downtown. You know....the one that all the best Manga-Ka in Fukushima shop at?"

Joy was not the word Kenji needed to describe the look on his childs face. His wide brown eyes glistened and he held back a squeal as he hugged the new book to his chest. Kenji laughed to himself and turned his focus back to the highway while Sono set the new book next to him for a moment, unable to wipe the smile from his face.

He kept smiling as he stared out the window, looking at the passing city over the highway, already excited for tonight after he finished his homework. He'd finish quick, probably with Otos help again and bolt to his room to start working until dinner. Then he'd be too excited to go bed and be ready for school the next day. He was already too excited to see Takeo again. That struck a cord in his head too.

He actually made a friend today. Mizuno Takeo....Mizuno Takeo....Sono smiled bigger. 

He found he liked the sound of the word friend. He could get used to it. With his smile still intact, he pulled out his sketch pad and his smile sadly faded after seeing how Takeo had unintentionally ruined his drawing. With a scowl, he ripped the paper out of the book, crushed it and stuffed it in his bag. 

After a few minutes of silence, Sono called out,

"Hey, dad?"

"Yeah?"

"What if I get mostly A's and B's this year? Can we still go to the new store then?"

"I'll think about it. I'd like you to actually try and get better grades this year, Sono. I tell Oto the same thing, but I feel like he knows better now that he's almost ready to take the entrance test for that new middle school. I'm not saying you should shoot for that, though. God knows the last thing you want is to be a lawyer or a CEO. I'm just saying I'd like you to have a great education so that when you do graduate, all you'll have time for is your art. You know that."

"I know, daddy. I'll do my best. I promise."

"Good."

Sono smiled and sat back against the window, seeing how they were about to exit off the highway to pick up Oto at the other school. With another smug look on his face as they were pulling up to the large prep school, the child asked,

"Hey dad, what if I managed one C? Am I still good then?"

Kenji couldn't help but laugh softly at that, pinching the bridge of his nose and sigh deeply, laced with a soft chuckle.

"Sono, shut up."

_TBC_


	3. Chapter 3

_"Mother?"_

_...._

_"You're alive?"_

_"Too bad you....will DIE."_

 

ACHOO!

A loud groan followed the sneeze as Sono ripped a tissue from the box and held it against his nose, blowing and throwing it in a nearby trash can, scowling at the tv.

This stupid cold had to have been a curse from wherever bad things come from. Because it had effectively distracted him from so many others things he could be doing. Like...like working in his manga books or outside playing with Takeo...

Granted, the latter was the reason he got sick in the first place. He and Takeo had been playing in the snow outside the other boys house for hours, sliding on the frozen river and even layed on it to stare at the falling snow. They talked about their favorite things, their favorite pastimes, things they wanted to do in middle school, high school, when they finally grew up. They talked about things Sono never thought to talk about with anyone else his own age. Takeo was the best thing that happened to him and it had only been 2 months since they first met.

In hindsight, it wasn't the best idea to be laying on a frozen river though. When Takeo's father started calling them inside, they slid towards the front of the canal where they started and from their combined weight on thin ice, it cracked underneath and both boys went under water in seconds. Takeo was quick to get out, but panicked when he couldn't get to his friend. Luckily, Takeo's father had much past experience with these situations and jumped in after him, pulling him out in no less than a minute. Takeo held his friend tightly as the man ushered them inside, calling Sono's parents to come pick him up after instructing his son to get him out of the wet clothes and into a warm shower immediately.

The blond couldn't recall a time he saw his father so worried as he pulled up to the house, demanding answers as to what happened. Takeo's father could only explain so much before Kenji nearly had a massive explosion. Luckily, he seemed to be calm as he gathered his son in the warm car, thanking the other man for saving his son and told Takeo to call the house tomorrow if he wanted, giving the young boy their home number. 

It wasn't even a minute when they returned home that Kenji got his son into a hot bath and scolded him about the dangers of rivers, even they were frozen. And how he shouldn't be so careless of all things. But his lecture fell short when he saw his son in tears, shivering in the bathtub and apologizing constantly. The man hugged him tightly, kissing his hair and said it was ok, that he wasn't mad. It helped the boy calm down a bit more...until he started sneezing. 

Hence how he got here. His fever had spiked the night before and so he had to miss school, which meant he had to miss hanging out with his friend. And he felt bored. Sick and bored with everything going on. 

He hated being bored. 

Another sneeze ripped through him and he let out a loud whimper at the headache it left, even as he heard his mother walk into the room with a thermometer and another heavy blanket. 

"You feeling any better, honey?"

He shook his head and she clicked her tongue, taking his small chin in her hand, making her look at him as she put the thermometer under his tongue. She mentioned for him to not move as she gathered the blanket he was using and walked back to the laundry room. He groaned and pressed a hand to his head, moaning at the pressure in his skull. He didn't even hear her come back as he felt the stupid thing in his mouth being pulled out and he heard her sigh. 

"Still 102. Jesus, what were you thinking? Playing on that river when it wasn't even frozen solid. You could have seriously gotten hurt, Sono."

"I know...I'm sorry, mommy. But...doesn't me being sick count as punishment enough for being so careless?"

She rolled her eyes and couldn't help but laugh at his wit that he so clearly got from her. Especially when he batted those cute brown eyes. 

"No, it doesn't. But since you didn't get hurt and you're clearly still breathing, I'll take it. Here, I brought you that blanket from your dads office you wanted."

She wrapped the large blue blanket over her sons small body and he smiled at the warm wool, wrapping the rest of him in it so only the top of his head was showing. Naomi laughed again and pulled it down so she could see his face. And she saw him smirk at her. 

"Ha ha, very smart, young man. Don't think you can just hide from me. I came to see if you were hungry at all...or are you still having problems keeping food down?"

"No, I'm fine now. It's just the sneezing and the coughing and this stupid headache left. I ate all those crackers earlier and I kept them down fine. But I'm not hungry right now. I can wait for dinner. You're making stew, aren't you?"

"Yeah, I just need to finish chopping the veggies for it. I'm half tempted to say screw it and make you eat a whole carrot, you monkey. Buuuut that wouldn't help much, now would it? Haha. I have a few more things I have to do before I can jump back into that. Your dad and Oto should be home soon anyway."

Naomi then got off the couch, but a small hand grabbed her wrist and she heard, 

"Can you stay a bit longer, momma? I'm...kinda lonesome on the couch."

There were those batting of the eyes again and she chuckled, unable to say no. Not when her baby was being so damn cute. So she wrapped her child up in the warm blanket and settled him on her lap, his head against her chest, her soft hand in his hair. 

"Better?"

"Better."

Naomi smiled sweetly and kissed her sons head, rocking him back and forth like he was a baby again, eyes fixing to the screen and she couldn't help but force a laugh. 

"What the heck are you watching here?"

"I don't know, some weird movie. I think...it's a martial arts movie. Kinda cheesy acting."

"Haha, with those effects, I don't doubt it. It looks ridiculous." 

The boy laughed and moved on his mothers lap so he could watch the movie, though he wasn't all that interested in it anymore. His mother seemed to read his mind as she grabbed the remote and started flipping channels before stopping on a talk show she liked to watch. 

Sono grimaced to himself; his mother watched some weird things on her own time. But it was much better than whatever it was he was watching before. His eyes scanned to the clock and saw that it was almost 3, which meant Oto and Kenji would be home soon. He smiled. Maybe while his mom and dad were working on dinner, Oto could snuggle with him to keep him warm...not that the blanket wasn't doing a good job of it already. 

Naomi continued to rub her sons stomach through the heavy blanket, eyes nearly fixated on the tv. It was a talk show she loved to watch while folding laundry and today's discussion was about men and how they should help with the housework. The audience, clearly all housewives or wives in general, were agreeing and cheering. This prompted a question from her lap, 

"Mom? Does dad help you with chores like Oto and me or do you force him to help?"

"Haha, sometimes mommy has to force him to help out around the house. But with his job being so busy and keeping him so occupied, sometimes I feel bad asking him to help out. I give you boys a chore list on the weekends for your own rooms, so that's just another notch I don't have to worry myself with. Then again, you boys keep your rooms so clean I feel dumb just giving you a chore list. Haha...but with your dad, I let him sort of jump in when he feels he needs to help."

She rubbed her sons yellow hair and smiled down at him. 

"Besides, daddy has his own things to worry about besides housework. That's mommy's job...90% of the time. That last 10 I'll just guilt trip him into doing later. Marriage is a weird thing, Sono, but we keep it entertaining."

The 6 year old, clearly not listening to the rest of that, only nodded and settled his head back against her chest, watching the tv show with her. 

Around 15 minutes later, the front door opened and Kenji and Oto piled in, shaking the snow off their hair and jackets, saying their 'Tadaima' and setting their coats on the hangers. Oto was quick to flop on the couch next to his mother, who gracefully plopped his brother in his lap as she stood to greet her husband with a kiss. He kissed back, smiling, saying, 

"It is freezing outside. Damn, when Oto got in the car, he cranked my heater full blast. I thought we were gonna melt in the car all the way here."

From the lounge, Oto called out, 

"It was like 10 degrees in my class! Our heater died and we spent the rest of the day bundled in our jackets."

"Hopefully they get that fixed. Otherwise, Oto, you'll be on that couch with your brother, sick as a dog."

Oto stuck his tongue playfully at his mother, who laughed and went back to talking with her husband. Meanwhile, Oto wrapped his arms around his brother, who smiled a toothy smile at him, nuzzling his chest. 

"How was school, ni-san?"

"Boring and it felt like an igloo. They postponed the rest of the exams until the heater gets fixed. Thank god, too. Last thing I want is to be accepted and then miss orientation because I became a snow man. But enough about that. How are you feeling?"

Sono smiled brighter and moved so his hands were free, placing one against his head, immediately regretting it. He got slightly dizzy and Oto chuckled, replacing his hand and said, 

"You still feel warm. Has your fever gone down at all?"

"Momma says it's still the same, so I'm guessing that's better than it going up. I'm not puking anymore so that's something too."

"That's good. Miyuki was asking about you today."

The sound of the girls name made Sono suddenly burst with energy as he sat up straight in his brothers lap, a wide smile on her face. 

"She's back already? I thought she was gonna be in Florencess for another year?"

"That's Florence, you nit. And yeah, I thought so too. But her parents finished early and they came back two days ago. She looked so excited to be home too. She missed us a lot. Especially her little Giardino....god I hope I said that right. She'd kill me if I botched that."

Sono smiled again and settled back against his brother, internally beaming. 

Miyuki was a dear friend of his brothers, someone he had known since he was really little. Oto and Miyuki met in primary school and became fast friends almost instantly through their love of old movies and she especially came to love Sono through their shared love of art. She and her family spent a lot of time traveling from Japan to Italy because of her fathers work as a troubleshooter for major Italian businesses, so she became fluent in the language quickly, often teaching Oto a few words so he could have fun little prank conversations with his own family. 

And it was also no secret that Oto had a...not so small crush on the girl either. He would get depressed just before she left and instantly thrilled when he saw her after her return, talking nonstop about her in between. Kenji would make jokes about the two of them getting together once they hit high school, but Naomi was betting it'd be earlier, middle school even. 

Sono loved the girl as a sister; she was always so peppy and cheerful, always coming by with a smile and most times, when she came home from Italy, she'd bring him little replicas of famous Italian art pieces for his room or his notepads. One of his all time favorites was a small copy of the famous Madonna and Child. So to hear that she was home early made him ecstatic. 

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Naomi was washing the carrots under the sink while Kenji was dicing the potatoes, noticing how his wife was humming to herself. Turning his head, he asked with a smile, 

"Good day, I'd wager?"

"Hm? Oh yes. Not a lot to do considering I had a sick child to watch over, but he was very easy. Haha. You know how Sono gets when he's sick. Doesn't want anyone touching him unless he REALLY wants something. He's so much like you, it's crazy."

"No no no. He's more like you, with your quick wit and smart ass tone sometimes. Let's get that right, haha."

Naomi fake scoffed at him while finishing the carrots before taking them to the other cutting board. While she began dicing them, she could hear the boys in the lounge laughing, mixed with Sono's coughing and she called out, 

"Oto, don't suffocate your brother please!"

A pause.

"Yes, mom!"

And she smiled, going back to her veggies, only stopping when she felt her husbands arms wrap around her thin waist, a snarky smile gracing her cheeks. 

"Hanasaki-san, if I may finish prepping supper for my family, that would be ever so generous."

"Why of course, Hanasaki-chan. Why would I ever stop you from doing that? I'm just making certain you're cutting the veggies correctly."

With a quick turn in his arms and a knife in her hand, Naomi quirked her brow at him and he laughed, raising his hands in defeat, backing away.

"Alright alright, message received. I was actually coming to see if you pulled the broth yet, but it looks like no."

"Not yet. I didn't get around to that part. Do you mind starting it? The mixture is in the fridge somewhere."

Kenji nodded and kissed her shoulder quickly before walking to the fridge, pulling out the needed items and mixing them in a saucepan before setting it on the stove. Just as he turned the stove to a medium heat, he heard his cell phone ringing from the counter next to the potatoes. With a sigh, he walked over to answer it, expecting it to be Henia. 

"Hello?"

Naomi watched her husband go from a predicted stare to a confused and surprised look in seconds as he spoke on the phone. She mouthed to him 'who is it?'. but he mouthed back 'one second' and continued to talk. 

"I'm actually surprised you called....no, I'm happy to hear from you, it's been ages....well, sort of yes....Yeah, I'm married, you know that. You should know that anyway, I sent you an invitation, but I assumed you were busy.....No....what?.....of course not....Really? When?.....I...don't see why not, I'd have to run it by Naomi first....yeah...yeah I'll call you back later....ok...ok bye."

He hung up his phone and leaned against the counter with a heavy sigh, a strange look in his eye. Naomi stopped her prep and wiped her hands, asking him, 

"So...who was it?"

He looked up at her with a shocked stare and said, 

"That was Chino."

The air suddenly grew thick as Naomi's brown eyes widened, voice stammering as she said, 

"Ch-Chino? No shit? Wow, what's it been? 10 years? I haven't seen him since high school. How's he doing?"

"Good, I'd guess. He's calling from Yokohama. Apparently, he's taking a holiday leave and his mother is still in Fukushima, so he was planning on staying with her, but he found out I was still here so he wants to catch up...maybe stay a night or two. He said he's thought about us lately and wasn't at all surprised when I told him we were married. granted, he kinda guessed we would be...what do you think? A night or two? He's supposed to fly in tomorrow."

"I mean, I don't see why not. It has been a long time. And he was one of your best friends....mine too, sort of. I mean, he was kinda obnoxious and loud...well...so long as he behaves, especially around the boys, I don't see why not. Are you picking him up or no?"

"I think he's getting a cab and I'll pick him up at his mothers....I think this could be good. I haven't heard from him in so long I was afraid he was dead. Heh, I miss the bastard. Good times we had in high school."

"Oh? Like drinking and partying all night through senior year? That was what I remember you were doing."

"Yes and as you recall, I straightened my act up quick when my own father threatened to take my share of the company away so I couldn't run it when he stepped down....not to mention a surprise add on to the equation was another factor of me getting my shit together."

Naomi smiled at that, recalling how scared she was at 17, telling her senior year 18 year old boyfriend that she was pregnant with his baby. She recalled the look of fear and happiness on his face as he twirled her around, kissing her and telling her he was going to be a wonderful father. 

"Hard to believe so many years went by already. Can you, Kenji? Is this how you pictured us? Married so young, parents at 18 and raising two wonderful boys?"

"Of course I can't believe it. I can't believe you've stuck by me all this time. Hell, I'm surprised at how good I am at this fathering thing. Haha. Oto being unplanned and Sono being a happy little miracle. I'm quite content."

Naomi smiled and leaned up to kiss him, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling him kiss back deeply, his hands trailing down her waist. The moment was perfect until they heard two sets of EWW coming from the doorway. 

Breaking apart, they laughed as Oto and Sono were watching them, the elder brother shielding his younger brothers eyes from the sight, dramatically yelling, 

"Shield your eyes, ototo-san! You must not watch such a gross display! I'll protect you!"

Sono continued to laugh while trying to pry his brothers hands away from his eyes, but when he did, he coughed a little and laughed to himself softly. 

Kenji laughed again and pulled away from his wifes hold, slowly walking towards them saying, 

"And what's wrong with giving my wife a little affection and love here and there? You two act as though it is such a terrible sight to behold...until I catch the two of you!"

In a move so quick, neither boy caught it, Kenji scooped Sono up into his arms, tickling the laughing child as he called out, 

"Run, Oto! Save yourself! He's got me!"

Oto was quick to bolt up the stairs, his father chasing him with a screaming child in his arms, all while Naomi held herself against the counter, laughing until she had tears in her eyes. Her family was something else, that was for sure. 

She eventually turned around to finish prepping veggies, all while listening to her three men screaming with laughter upstairs, mixing with her youngest sons coughing and laughing; she smiled softly to herself, the memory of telling an 18 year old Kenji that she was pregnant was a joy for them both. Then the reminder of telling him about her pregnancy later with their youngest ages later was a tricky one, considering they were fighting so much at the time, on the slow verge of divorce. 

She had been going through such a stressful time that when she found she was pregnant, she almost didn't want to go through with it. She wasn't sure if she and Kenjis marriage was even going to last. But the minute Oto found out he was going to be a brother tossed all those thoughts out the window. And when he was born, health complications aside, he was beautiful. Born with a full head of golden hair and striking brown eyes, she could tell Kenji fell in love with him the moment he first held him. He had the same look he had when Oto was born. That was when she knew their marriage was going to work. And she never looked back.

Finally, after a few moments of peaceful silence to herself, Kenji came running back down the stairs, face red with exertion and he was laughing, saying, 

"I'm...ha...I'm sorry, honey. Those boys take so much out of me. And Oto is a lot stronger than he looks! Sono too! When did they start lifting weights?"

"Oh ha ha, very funny. Now hush up and help me cook....one second...Oto! Make sure you and your brother wash up for dinner!"

She got a faint response followed by some small giggling and she chuckled to herself, ignoring her husbands heavy breathing as she tried, once more, to cut up the vegetables. 

* * *

 

It was later the next afternoon that Sono's condition had gotten a bit worse. While his fever didn't increase, his coughing and sneezing had and he was complaining of his body aching more than usual. Oto begged Kenji and Naomi for him to stay home so he could take care of his brother, to which they agreed almost too quickly.

Of course, Oto quickly called Miyuki to let her know why he wasn't in school and she was happy to know that the boy was in good hands. Takeo had even called to ask if Sono was alright to talk, which he was, but for a brief amount of time. His throat was sore and he was constantly thirsty. So he and his brother were snuggled up on the couch, watching some old anime movie, while Naomi was in the kitchen going over some small bills and other papers. 

She felt nervous, though she didn't know why. Her old high school friend was coming by today and she should feel excited...but she felt worried. 

Chino was, by all accounts, a frat boy in high school. Always got into trouble, a terrible influence and wasn't very happy when Kenji had told him that his party days were done once his father made it clear about the company's future. Though, he did seem to be more accepting of the fact that Naomi was pregnant. 

She sighed; being nervous was against her nature. She needed to just breath for a moment. 

Walking into the lounge and seeing her boys snuggled up against the couch, she smiled and sat down in the lounge chair, taking the remote and muting the tv, while looking at them and said, 

"Boys...you know daddy has a friend staying with us for a few days, right?"

Oto nodded, shifting so his brothers head wasn't lopped over his neck.

"Yeah, that Chino guy, wasn't it?"

"Yes, that's him. Now listen. I haven't seen him in a long time and I know your dad hasn't either. So I don't know what's changed in 10 years. But in any case, just...let's all just give him a big welcome once he gets here, ok?"

Sono smiled through the blanket and nodded as best he could, while Oto gave her a thumbs up. And with that, she smiled and stood, immediately as she heard a car pulling in the driveway. Oto jumped to his feet and helped his brother stand, throwing the blanket on the couch as Naomi walked to the door, opening it as soon as she heard her husbands voice behind the door. 

Kenji walked in and shook the snow off his hair, laughing to himself as he thanked his wife and greeted his sons. Behind him, a man walked in and in a near second, the air felt different....dirty. 

He was a muscular man, with shaggy brown hair and dark eyes. He wore a black jacket and long blue cargo pants with black shoes. On his back, there was a duffel bag. He quickly turned to Naomi, kissing her cheek and said, 

"Well, well, Asano Naomi. It has been ages, haven't it? You look as though you haven't aged a day since high school. Still such a beauty."

Naomi blushed and smiled, hugging the man and said, 

"It certainly has. You look well, Chino. Very well. Where's life taken you these last 10 years?"

"All over, honestly. I was telling Kenji here about how I went to America for a few years, worked around and such. Came back to Japan about a year and a half and felt like it was time to catch up with old friends....make some new ones too. Lots has changed."

Kenji and Naomi nodded before the man came up to the two children standing around. Kenji smiled and said, 

"Chino, these are my boys. This is Oto, my aspiring lawyer."

Chino smiled and extended his hand to the boy, who slowly took it and nodded at him. His eyes behind his glasses were narrow, as if he didn't know if he could trust this man yet. 

"And this is Sono, our artist. Well, future manga illustrator, if I'm being technical."

The other mans eyes trailed to the youngest and that's when the air suddenly became thicker. His brown eyes glanced down at the small child as he stumbled a little in his fathers arms, coughing into his hand and whimpering about the pain in his head. Kenji shifted from excited friend to concerned parent in seconds, taking the boy in his arms and said, 

"Are you ok, sweetie? Still feeling sick?"

When the boy nodded, Kenji lifted him up and said, 

"Give me a second, Chino. I'm gonna put Sono in bed for a bit. I'll be right down. Make yourself at home."

The man made his way up the stairs with the coughing child in his arms, while Naomi took Chino's bag and told Oto to set it in the guest bedroom. The child did as he was told, stealing a quick glance at the other man for a moment before walking upstairs. He didn't like the look he gave him....he especially didn't like the look he gave Sono. It nerved him a bit, but he didn't know why. 

As he set the bag in the guest room, he decided to see how said brother was doing. Making his way to his room, he saw their father sitting in his bed, rubbing the boys forehead and tucking him in. 

"Dad? Is he ok?"

Kenji turned to Oto and nodded, ushering him over, saying, 

"He still has a pretty intense fever, but I think it's starting to show signs of breaking soon. He just needs to sleep it off. Do you mind sitting with him for a bit?"

"No, not at all. It's ok, dad. I know you have a friend downstairs. I'll stay with Sono tonight."

"Thanks, honey. You're a big help."

Kenji pressed a kiss to the top of Otos head as he walked out of the room, leaving the two brothers alone. Oto sighed as he watched the way his brothers chest rose and fell with every heavy breath. He hated seeing him like this. It just reminded him of all the times he was a horrible big brother to him. 

The very real memory of his former friends locking his 4 year old brother in the basement and not even bothering to realize it until many hours later was still fresh in his head. God, he felt like the worst kind of asshole. And he promised to his parents and to his brother he'd be better, much more attentive. 

"...ni-san..."

His brothers weak voice broke him from his thoughts and he leaned down to hear him whisper, 

"I'm thirsty."

And seeing that there was already a water bottle sitting next to the bed, Oto took it and gently lifted his brothers head so he could drink. After a few gulps, Sono fell asleep almost immediately. Oto smiled and got comfortable next to him, snuggling up to him in his bed and whispered, 

"Sleep tight, kiddo. Let me know if you need anything. I'll be right here."

Downstairs, Chino had just gotten comfortable on the couch with Kenji, asking, 

"So...your youngest...is it a cold?"

"Well, it started out as a cold. I think it's about ready to break though. You know how kids get. They get worse just before they get better."

"Yeah...I've been around my fair share of kids to know what they're like in those kinds of situations."

Naomi sat down in the opposite chair, sipping her tea and asked, 

"Really? In America? That's something. Last I checked, you hated kids."

"Not so much anymore. I found there's a lot you can learn from young ones. Your youngest..."

"His name's Sono, Chino."

"Right. Well, he reminds me of one kid in particular I was helping out in the states. Though he was not as cute as your boy. He looks just like his mother."

Again, Naomi blushed, but more so ignored the comment as she nibbled on a cookie while Kenji bombarded his friend with more questions. Maybe this was a good idea to have Chino here. Kenji seemed happy that his friend was back in the picture, so what was there to be so nervous about?

Her eyes glanced up to the ceiling for a moment, as if thinking about something serious, but chose not to address it. This was a happy occasion. 

She wasn't going to spoil her husbands nostalgic joys with her still unknown doubts. 

_TBC_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, it's time for some warning shots here. 
> 
> This chapter will contain some heavy...HEAVY content, which will also trail into the next chapter and if you're not comfortable with it (which I can't imagine why you would be, but for fictions sake), I suggest you vacate quickly. It's a subject that ties this stories general theme together. And it's not a pleasant one either. Trust me. I don't enjoy writing scenes like this but when it ties together, it makes more sense as to why it's there.

When Kenji and Naomi brought Sono home from the hospital, it was not a pleasant day. They had grown so worried about his fever and his coughing that it was bordering on several days, close to a week even. The doctors had mentioned that some children can unknowingly extend their ailments due to stress and discomfort. 

Which didn't make a lot of sense. What was there to be stressed about in their house? There was nothing really out of the ordinary. 

They talked about it on the drive home, Naomi behind the wheel and Kenji in the backseat with his son in his arms, not letting go for a moment. He...wasn't quite sure what to do with himself here. Oto had never gotten this sick before, nothing more than a common cold for 4 days and it went away like it was nothing. 

But considering Sono was already born with some health complications, it stood to reason that his health would be a cause for concern in the near future. 

So all Kenji could think of was holding his child through it all, just like he did Oto. 

When they eventually returned home, they quickly got inside and out of the snow, shaking it off as they removed their shoes, greeted by Oto with a small smile, fading into a look of concern at the look of his flushed brothers face. 

"What did they say?"

Naomi sighed and hung up her coat, grumbling out, 

"Nothing we've never heard before. They say he might be stressed about something, but we don't know what it could be."

"That doesn't matter right now. What's important is we get him upstairs and into bed."

"Kenji-"

"Naomi, I don't want to hear it. Whatever this is, we'll take care of it. I'm sure it's nothing serious. If it was, they'd have told us. Now I'm going to put him to bed and head to the office to do some work."

He didn't wait for a response from her as he turned and walked up the stairs, leaving Oto genuinely confused. Turning to his mother, he asked, 

"Is Dad mad at something? He seems so grouchy."

Naomi sighed and patted her sons shoulder, leading him to the lounge for a moment before relaxing on the couch, saying, 

"I think he's just worried is all. Worried and stressed. With this weather being an absolute nightmare, he's had to work from home a lot and he doesn't like doing that all the time. His son is sick and we're not sure why, so he's dealing with that...not to mention he has a friend visiting and he's trying to juggle three different things at once."

Oto nodded and took off his glasses for a moment to wipe the smudge away, slipping them back on and thought about the last week, taking his mothers words into thought. 

It had been a pretty off week, considering that the weather had shifted to a soft blizzard and the major roads in Fukushima were closed down, making it impossible for people to get anywhere. That meant Kenji was unable to drive to work and was forced to do it at home, something Oto knew he hated to do unless it was seriously important. That he could understand. 

But the change in weather also meant Chino's stay with them had extended and Oto was not thrilled with that. He didn't much care for the man, though he wasn't rude. Chino did help around the house quite a bit, assisting Naomi with cooking and cleaning, helping Oto study for his prep exams and even helped take care of Sono when he needed something. So why did Oto feel so....awkward around him sometimes?

He couldn't put his finger on it, but there was something about the man he didn't like. But he was also his fathers friend and he had to be respectful, even if it meant biting his tongue. 

Meanwhile, Kenji carried his son upstairs and walked past his large room, only stopping when he heard the boy mumble in his ear. Shifting him in his arms a bit, he asked, 

"What is it, love? Need anything?"

The boy shook his head, only latching onto his fathers shirt tighter, making Kenji smiled and pat his back, continuing his walk to the boys room. He had then walked past the guest room, which was open, and he saw Chino sitting in bed reading, looking up to smile at his friend. Then he saw the boy in his arms and the smile faded a touch. Setting the book down, he stood and asked, 

"How is he?"

"I wish I could say better. But those stupid doctors didn't tell us anything different. God, I wish I knew what it was. It can't just be a cold; It'd have gone down by now."

"Well, I know that kids and their sicknesses are trickier than most adults. Sometimes, they can get sick from nothing and stay that way for a long time, then all of a sudden, poof. Healed and active once again. Has he ever had the chicken pox?"

"Yeah, when he was 2. Why?"

"I learned in America that some kids get really bad fevers and chills just before they get the chicken pox, so that would've been my first guess. If not that, then I have no idea. But it'll be ok, Kenji. He'll be ok. I'm sure he just needs to get some rest."

Kenji smiled again softly, nodding and kissed the boys burning forehead, hearing such a soft whimper from the child. It prompted the man to run his hand up the childs shirt, feeling his back and his eyes narrowed a bit. 

"He still feels so warm. I'm gonna run him a cool bath before getting him into bed."

Chino nodded, eyes never leaving the boys shivering form. It was as if his dark eyes were trying to figure something out, but coming up dry...though a tremble went down his spine and he shook his head, asking, 

"Want some help?"

And it wasn't so much the question that caused Kenji to halt, but the way it was asked. It was quick, urgent almost in its tone. His eyes shifted to his friend, who stared back with an almost burning intensity. It nerved him a bit, collecting himself before answering, 

"That's fine. I got it. He's been so attached to me lately that I'm not sure he'll want someone else holding him for a while. Thanks though. You go back to your reading. Naomi might start dinner early since it's so cold, so she might want help with that. But...I'm gonna spend some time with Sono for a bit. Make sure he's comfortable before I leave him alone. And I know Oto is itching to watch him too."

With that, Kenji turned to walk out of the room and down the hall to his sons room, opening the door with his foot and glided over to the attached bathroom, already in the process of removing his sons clothes. He took great care in removing his shirt as he noticed the boys skin was sensitive due to the fever and even the brush of the fabric startled him. After removing his pants and underwear, Kenji leaned over to start the water, testing the temperature so it wasn't too hot or too cold. 

A soft whimper made him stop and hold his son again, pulling back to look at his face. 

The poor baby looked dreadful. Paler than usual and his brown eyes looked bloodshot and tired. His mouth opened to whimper, 

"I feel like crap, dad."

"..Haha, I can imagine you do. I'm sorry, Sono. I wish I could make it go away, but I can't turn time forward. But how does a cool bath sound?"

The boy gave his dad a smug look and nodded, whispering, 

"Sounds good."

Kenji chuckled; even when he was ill, Sono was still a smart mouth little brat....just like his mother. 

Finally, the water was the right temperature and the tub was filled just enough to cover up to the boys chest. Kenji rolled up his sleeves and got the boy in the tub, lightly splashing some of the water on his face and on his neck. Judging from the small moans the boy was making, it seemed to feel good for his burning skin. His head lopped from side to side as Kenji continued to cool his skin down, not hearing the bedroom door opening until he heard, 

"Dad, do you need some help?"

Kenji turned to see Oto standing there, dressed in his pajamas and he smiled. 

"Sure. In the bottom drawer, there's some child medicine in a pink bottle. Bring that to me."

With a nod, Oto began rummaging through the drawers until he came across the bottle, a bright pink one, and handed it to his father, who shook his head at first and said, 

"I need my hands to hold him up so he doesn't slide under water and drown. Open that up and fill the cap up to the line....no no push it in first and then turn it to the left. Those things are stupid, I know. Child proof and all that."

This stuff smelt horrible, Oto quickly realized as he poured the liquid into the cap and handed it to his father, who then turned to Sono and said, 

"Open up, honey. This will make you feel a little better."

Without a sound, the boy drank down the medicine, sputtering a few times, but relaxing instantly. Kenji wiped his mouth and told Oto to bring him a towel, which he used to wrap around the boy as he lifted him from the tub, hearing his older son pull the drain stop so the water ran. The man was quick to get his son dressed in some warm clothes and tucked into bed, sitting at the head and rubbing his hair. 

He didn't look as distressed as he did this morning, plus the medicine would help relax him into a gentle sleep for the night. And it seemed Sono was already out for the night as Kenji leaned down to kiss his temple, whispering his love for him and standing quietly, ready to usher Oto out of the room. But the boy stayed for a bit, taking his brothers hand in his, kissing his knuckles and said that he hoped he'd get better soon and that he missed playing with him. He also mentioned that Takeo would not stop calling to check on him. 

Finally, the two men left and Oto asked in a hushed tone, 

"Sono will get better, won't he dad?"

"Of course he will. This is just some child cold or something. He'll come out of it eventually...we'll wake him in a few hours so he can eat something. Let's head down to see if your mom needs some help."

Oto nodded and followed his father down the stairs. As they walked past the guest room, Chino had just opened the door to follow them, only to stop and take a look at the boys closed bedroom door. Making sure he wasn't going to be seen, he made his way to the room and quietly opened the door, peering in to see the young child sound asleep in bed. He looked so peaceful and so innocent. Chino let out a shuddering sigh as he walked up to the childs bed and extended his hand to brush against his yellow hair, such golden, silky locks that passed through his hands, some small strands catching his bent fingers. 

He brought those strands of hair up to his nose and inhaled, eyes rolling back in his head at the smell. This was nothing new to him. Not at all. But he'd be damned if his friend knew anything about it. About the real reason he left Japan for a few years. About why he had to leave the states. No, that talk would be for later....when he got his fill. 

His dark eyes lingered on the child a little longer than he'd have liked; he had to get out of here quick before Kenji or Naomi caught him in here. Or god forbid the boys brother, who already seemed to not trust him. He was about to turn to leave the room when something caught his eye...in the bathroom...the boys clothes. 

Oh god....Chino could feel his loins set ablaze. Taking a quick glance at the boy and at the door, he quickly, but quietly grabbed the boys shirt and left the room, gently shutting the door and ran back to his own room, shutting the door behind him and inhaled the scent in the shirt, moaning to himself. It was becoming very difficult to control himself around that boy, especially when he was so defenseless due to his illness. His thoughts went wild the minute he saw him. 

At first, he thought the older one was much more interesting, but the youngest one caught his attention the most. He didn't know why, but it drove him mad. 

Insanely mad. 

The image of that boy alone and vulnerable in his bed....Chino unbuckled his pants and couldn't stop himself, gripping himself with the boys shirt, images going berserk in his brain. He knew was playing a very dangerous game here. 

If Kenji found out about any of this, there'd be no telling what he'd do. He had already killed two people who threatened to hurt Naomi when she was pregnant with their first son years ago. Murder was certainly not beneath the Hanasaki name should it come down to it. They had the best lawyers this side of Japan and they'd get away with anything self defense worthy...if he found out his best friend, the person he confided in most in high school, was getting off on the image of his youngest child...Kenji would kill him. And perhaps that would be the best way to go. 

With a shuddering gasp, Chino came hard in the small shirt, wiping it clean and tucking himself back in his pants, walking over to the mirror to look at himself. He always felt disgusted at the idea of thinking such things....but he couldn't help it. 

He jumped as he heard a knock at his door, followed by Naomi's voice asking, 

"Chino, do you mind helping me with dinner? Kenji's helping Oto with his exam prep and I could use an extra hand."

Oh fuck....that was something he also didn't consider.

Naomi...she was equally as protective of her kids as Kenji was. If Kenji wouldn't kill him, she certainly would. He recalled her being such a wild cat in high school, able to stand her own ground and kick the ass of anyone who even looked at her funny. He saw instantly why Kenji fell in love with her. 

And considering the phrase regarding mothers and their babies....Chino was walking on literal fire. He had to be careful. 

"Chino, are you ok in there?"

Straightening himself up in the mirror, he called out, 

"Y-yeah, I'll be down in a bit. Sorry, was really into the book I was reading and was miles away. Give me a second."

Outside the door, Naomi's eyes narrowed, but she nodded and turned to walk down the hallway and down the stairs, passing the others in the lounge. Oto quickly asked, 

"Is Sono gonna be able to eat anything, mom? I'd feel bad if we ate without him."

Naomi smiled and leaned against the door, saying, 

"If he's hungry and feeling up for it, he can eat with us or you can take two bowls up to his room and eat with him. I'm sure he'd love the company, honey. Also, and I don't know why that reminded me, but Kenji, make a mental note for me reminding me to pull laundry either tonight or tomorrow. I really want to try that new laundry soap we bought last week."

Kenji smiled and nodded at her, poking his head with his finger and gave her a thumbs up, which earned him a playful tongue waggle from her as she walked to the kitchen. Soon after, Chino walked downstairs and waved at Kenji before staggering into the kitchen, which didn't go unnoticed by Naomi.

"Did you get lost up there? Stub your toe?"

"Heh, yeah. My legs feel asleep getting out of bed and I hit my toe on the door frame. But I'm fine. Now, what did you need help with?"

Her eyes narrowed again and there was a sudden jolt in her chest that she wasn't sure where it came from. Ignoring it for now, she pointed to her cutting board and said, 

"Staring slicing those onions and toss them in the skillet. We're having meatloaf tonight, something simple and I want those onions caramelized. And thank you for your help."

Chino smiled and got right to it, slicing the onions and tossing them in a bowl with the seasonings she set aside before mixing them and threw them in the hot skillet. From behind him, he watched as Naomi effortlessly starting molding the ground meat in her hands, mixing it with salt, pepper, ginger, diced bacon and liquid smoke. He was intrigued by her chosen ingredients, but opted not to ask. 

She could sense his gaze on her back, but she wasn't so much bothered by it as she could have been. Instead, she asked him, 

"So...why were you in America all these years? When we graduated, you said something about becoming a doctor or something. Proving all the doubters wrong. What happened?"

Chinos gaze darkened for a second as he considered his answer, knowing that she could tell something was amiss. He sighed a little and said, 

"I...got into some trouble and decided to leave for a while. Ended up in American a lot longer than I would've thought."

"So why did you leave?"

"Well, if you must know, I kind of screwed up a job and they gave me two choices. I either leave the state I was in or I just pack up and go back to Japan. I decided to leave the state for a while, but I couldn't shake that guilt of what I did....so I came home."

"What you did? What did you do that was so terrible that they forced you to relocate?"

"I...hurt someone. Someone that shouldn't have been hurt they way I did. I didn't tell anyone about it because I was afraid of their reactions...I couldn't even tell Kenji and-"

"Hold up...Kenji doesn't know? Chino, what the fuck did you do?"

The man said nothing but his dark gaze shifted up to her and immediately, Naomi became alert. Without thinking, she said, 

"You listen to me, Chino. We've been through a lot in school together and I put up with a lot of your shit. Whatever it is you've done is whatever you've done. I don't care so long as it stays wherever you left it. But if you hurt me or my husband or either of my sons...I will not hesitate to fuck you up more than Kenji ever could. This is my house and you will not cross a line here. And Kenji would not think twice."

God, it was that fire that drew his friend to marry such a bitch like her, Chino could see it now. But he accepted it then because he knew it was his friends life. And now, he was playing a very hard game. It wasn't like he could up and say he was sexually attracted to their youngest son....like she had mentioned before. 

She would not hesitate...and Kenji would not think twice. 

Knowing he was defeated this round, he raised his hands in peace and turned back to focus on the onions, leaving Naomi fuming to herself. Her doubts and suspicions were kicked into overdrive...should she tell Kenji? Could she tell him? 

She couldn't think of a decisive plan, so she turned back to her counter, heart racing in her chest. And while Chino focused on his onions, his eyes glazed over in a dark temptation. This heated argument had lit a fire in his veins. He needed to act fast and get this urge out of the way before it got much more dangerous. 

\--

The rest of dinner was awkward. Naomi was shooting him dark looks through her glass of wine while Kenji prattled on about his day and asking Chino about his. Said man noticed Oto was not present and assumed he was upstairs with his brother. That would make things a bit more complicated. 

Nevertheless, he continued to eat his meal, smiling at his friend as he spoke...inwardly planning the rest of his night. 

After dinner, he retired to his room to shower, passing Oto on the way with two empty plates, asking politely how Sono was doing. The boy peered at him through his glasses and said, 

"Better, I guess. He ate his whole meatloaf without a second thought and I gave him more medicine so he could sleep. He's out now, so if you're gonna stay up here, be quiet so he doesn't wake up."

"You have my word."

Oto scoffed at him and walked back downstairs, ignoring the way Chino scowled at him. But with the boy gone, for a short time, this gave him a better chance to prepare. Walking into his guest room bathroom, he removed his clothes and got in the shower, instantly becoming erect at the thought of doing this. He was once again disgusted with himself, but again, there was no stopping it. He gripped his cock and began pumping himself, the images growing heavy in his head. 

It was quick, but satisfying for a time as he dried and got dressed in his pajamas, hearing the sounds of footsteps up the stairs and the family saying their good nights, followed by the sound of doors shutting. Chino peered out to see Oto walking into his own room for the night, which gave him his golden opportunity. 

Once the house was dark, he tiptoed out of his room and shut the door, stalking up to the boys room and opened the door, quietly closing it once he was inside and immediately began to rethink this decision. 

Was he really about to do this horrid act to his best friends son? Something he tried to help himself when he left the states....there was a name for people like him. People who didn't deserve to walk around freely. He had been called that when he was forced out of his job and into the streets, and everywhere he went. 

One look at the sleeping child in bed and his mind went racing. He couldn't stop himself. He walked over to the boys bed and crawled on top of him, moving the covers so the top of his shirt was exposed. It was a silk button up....perfect. 

His large fingers began to work at the buttons, pulling them apart one by one. And once he unbuttoned the last one, his eyes glistened at the sight of the boys chest. 

That's when he felt the movement under him. And that was when he saw weak brown eyes open to stare at him. 

It was quiet and tense....too tense. Chino didn't know what to do at this point. Sono looked up at him, sleepy and confused, unsure of what was happening. He looked down to see his pajama shirt was unbuttoned and his tired eyes widened just a little. And it was then Chino realized he had been caught. There was no talking himself out of this. 

The boys weak voice spoke out, frightened to his core, 

"Ch-Chino? What's going on? What's happening?"

Something in the mans head snapped at the sound of his voice. His vision went red and he couldn't stop his hands from gripping the boys wrists tightly, pinning them above his head and his other hand covering his mouth. The boys eyes widened once more, fully awake and more terrified than he'd ever been in his life. The look Chino was giving him was unlike anything he'd seen. It didn't look human. 

"Sh sh sh, don't worry, Sono. It's alright."

He lowered his head and licked a hot stripe across the boys face, making him cry out under his hand, tears beading in his eyes as those rough hands tightened on his wrists. In a quick motion, Chino removed his hand from his mouth and pulled the childs pajama bottoms down and off his legs, immediately earning a near scream, only to have it muffled once more. That's when he began struggling, seeing how Chino wasn't wearing any pants at all. His struggling became fighting, his screams muffled by the mans hand, tears leaking down his face. He had a general idea of what was happening here, but his head was swimming due to the medicine. 

All he knew right now was he was being attacked and he couldn't move or make a sound. And the smile Chino was giving him only made it worse. 

"Shhh it's ok, Sono, it's ok. Don't cry...Uncle Chino is going to make you feel better. I promise."

That was the last thing Sono heard before he was engulfed in a searing pain, eyes rolling back into his head as he thought he heard himself scream...but he doubted it. 

\--

Chino left the boys room an hour and half later, trembling madly and staring at his own hands, eyes wide with disgust and fear. He left the child crying in his bed after cleaning him up and dressed him, trying to not make the situation worse. He even pleaded to the boy not to tell anyone, especially his father. Sono had said nothing to him. He simply stared blank into the dark room as Chino left. 

The man made his way back to his guest room and shut the door, running to the bathroom and vomited in the toilet. 

There was no going back now. He had a taste and he hated himself for ever craving it. But now that the seed had been sowed, he knew he couldn't stop. It would continue until he left the house and never came back.

Or until Kenji finds out and blows his brains out, the last thing Chino would ever see being the barrel of his best friends gun. 

_TBC_


	5. Chapter 5

Oto Hanasaki was many things to many people. 

He was considered a child prodigy, intelligent with just the right amount of humble to be considered a perfect person. He had the best grades in his entire school, he was shooting to become a lawyer for his fathers company with the hope of taking over just like Kenji did from his grandfather (may he rest in peace). Already on the cusp of entering middle school with his friends, who he had met through his cram school years and through many other events regarding his studies. 

He had a perfect memory, able to remember even the most minuet details at any given moment in time. It was how he got so good at every academic thing he strived for.  But he also knew he had his faults. He certainly wasn't a super human. 

He knew he couldn't read peoples faces like his father could, couldn't read other peoples emotions like his mother. In that department, at least to strangers, Oto was blind. Not that it really bothered him much. 

However, if he did have that one person in life that he could read like an open book, it was his baby brother. He and Sono were close enough to be able to understand the kids issues even before they happened. He loved his brother more than anything on this planet, would do anything for him. And he knew the kid would understand as he got older and hoped he'd feel the same. They've shared the same bed, same bathtub, same room for ages when Sono was just a baby and Oto made a vow to protect his brother from anyone who tried to hurt him. He didn't like to see him upset or cry, especially when he was the cause of it. 

Sometimes, Sono knew he had his big brother wrapped around his finger and was smart enough to exploit it whenever he wanted (ie, stealing candy in broad daylight). But it was for loving intentions, Oto decided, and was quick to dote on his kid brother were it necessary. 

Yes, Oto was many things, but he wasn't a super human. He just wanted to be a good student, a good son and a perfect big brother. He wanted to be the best lawyer in the company, possibly in all of Fukushima, hell, he'd shoot for all of Japan. 

But one thing he wanted at this very moment, at this exact moment he walked upstairs one afternoon, was to know why in the hell his kid brother was avoiding him, locked in his room and told him to go away. He had been acting strange for over a week now, not wanting to talk to anyone and throwing the biggest fits if someone touched him. 

It was bugging him greatly and he didn't know how to fix it. All he could do was stand in front of his brothers door and knock for the 50th time that week, begging him to come out so they could talk about whatever was bothering him. He got little response except a small 'no' and was told to 'go away.' This kind of behavior angered Oto just a bit, but he said nothing as he walked away from the door and back downstairs to the kitchen, expecting to see his mom but was more elated to see his father instead, reading one of Naomi's old recipes from a blue folder. He didn't notice the boy at first, until Oto asked, 

"Where's mom?"

Kenji looked at him over the folder and took a sip of his coffee. That puzzled Oto more. His father never drank coffee in the afternoon, only in the morning from 5 am to the occasional third cup at 7 just before he would leave for work. 

"She went shopping with some friends today. I guess there was a huge sale at the market and she was really wanting to get more of that detergent for our clothes. I can see why though. My shirts smell like watermelon and they feel like clouds."

The man chuckled at his joke and went back to reading, while Oto tilted his head, his eyes glancing at the counter, seeing a full pot of coffee already made. The time on the pot read 3:27 pm. Now, puzzled wasn't the right word to express the boys confusion. He looked back at his father and asked, 

"So...why so much coffee today? You usually don't drink this much in the middle of the day."

The man stopped reading and sighed, setting the folder down and even set his mug down, walking over to Oto and set his hand on his head, getting to his knee and looked him in the eye. Through his glasses, Otos eyes widened a bit. Now that his father was right in his face, he looked tired, stressed. That certainly would explain a lot of things. 

Kenji smiled and said, 

"I have a lot on my mind, love. Getting back into the swing of things at work has been a hassle knowing I still have something going on at home. But I also have a early evening meeting in about an hour and I'm trying to keep myself awake for it. I know, I know, it's weird seeing me drink this much coffee and if your mom found out, she'd give me all kinds of guff about it. Just bare with me a bit, Oto. My head's all over the place."

"I can see that. I thought for sure it was because Sono hasn't left his room in over a week. Cause I'm really worried about him."

The mood shifted as Kenji's eyes softened at his sons concerned stare, averting to the ground. Gently, he lifted his sons face up to look at him, seeing how tears had pooled in his eyes, fogging his glasses. Kenji wiped them away with his thumb and said, 

"I'm worried too. I have no idea what's gotten into him lately. I tried to talk to him but he's refusing to come out. I won't lie, I'm getting impatient and irritated. I don't like my own son shutting me out like this, but at the same time, I'm not sure what I can do to help. He hasn't said anything to you?"

"Nothing. Nothing at all. One day he's smiley and happy even though he's sick and the next...he's just barricaded himself. He's never been like this before. And I'm really scared, dad. What if something happened?"

"I'm sure it's nothing, Oto, but I get where you're coming from. Look, just keep trying to break through to him. Talk to him through the door. That's all you can do for now. And your mom will be home soon, so just try and get her to help you. I have to get going. I love you."

Kenji kissed the top of Oto's head before standing and grabbing his briefcase, walking out of the kitchen and out the front door in a near dash, leaving Oto wiping his eyes and nodding to himself with a determined look in his eye. 

His father was right. He couldn't very well help his brother when he was acting like a child himself. With a new sense of confidence, Oto bolted up the stairs and turned the corner to the hallway, only to stop when he saw Chino knocking on his brothers door, an equally concerned look on his face. 

Confidence aside, Oto grew irritated and marched over to the door, asking, 

"What are you doing? He could be sleeping, you jerk."

The man turned his head to look at the boy, his dark eyes sharp with a glare. 

"Unless he's dreaming about the ending to a sad movie, that crying doesn't sound like sleeping."

All the gears in Otos mind halted as he took in the information Chino gave him, brief as it was. Lightly pushing the man away, he knocked on the door and said, 

"Sono, it's ni-san. I just wanna talk to you...are you ok?"

He wasn't given a response, only his crying rose a bit louder. Oto scowled. 

"C'mon, brother, open up. You can't just lock yourself in here without at least telling me what's going on. Remember? We said no secrets."

His words caused the man behind him to give a scowl himself before composing himself and backed away a little as Oto continued to knock on the door, speaking to his brother through the wood. Chino was beginning to feel a touch nervous when the boy said 'no secrets'. He had made his point clear about what happened that night and if Sono were to blab to his brother about it...no. No, he had made his message clear the previous night. He had even been so angry when the young boy started struggling more and more each time. 

Last night, he had been rougher than usual. He squeezed the boys wrists a bit too hard and almost broke the fragile bones, making the child bite into his pillow. No doubt there were more than likely bruises on his body, but Oto would never know. Sono wouldn't say anything. Not if he valued his hands, he wouldn't. 

_'Remember, you tell anyone about this, anyone at all, and I break your pretty little hands. You very well can't draw with no hands, can you?'_

Chinos loins began to burn again and he couldn't do anything with Oto standing in his way. But alongside the burning want came the horrible taste of disgust, something Chino was able to hold down for a time. It had been every night this week and he was getting quite surprised at how sneaky he was being. But he also knew that this luck would have to run out eventually. 

He even contemplated taking the child for himself, running far away with him, somewhere no one would find them. It was a ludicrous dream; Kenji would not stop until they were found and Naomi would beat him down into nothing. But he'd still try his luck. 

It would have to be soon though. He couldn't keep this up anymore, the sneaking around, the threatening. 

Meanwhile, Oto sighed and banged his fist against the door, frustrated that he wasn't getting through to his brother in the slightest. He heard the front door open downstairs, telling him his mother was home and he turned on his heel, kicking his brothers door, yelling, 

"Fine, be a baby for all I care! You can just rot in there, you spoiled brat."

Oto didn't even look back as he walked away from the door, angrily grumbling to himself. He only turned back to snap off at Chino, 

"If you're trying to help, don't waste your time. Let him sulk. He needs to grow up some time and not be so moody. Just leave him be."

The boy said nothing more and walked downstairs, out of eye and ear shot. Chino could not believe his luck today. This was perfect. He had no idea how much this was helping him in the long run. 

"Holy shit...holy fucking shit yes..."

He faced the door and set his hand on it, mind racing with thoughts and ideas, his cock already swelling in his pants. Taking a minute to compose himself once more, he walked back to his guest room and shut the door, pacing back and forth, a wicked smile on his face. This was the perfect chance for him to do what he wanted. That boy could be all his if he played his cards right. 

He could snatch the boy up later this week if he wanted, drug him so he wouldn't move or struggle. He wouldn't even be awake to realize what would be happening. Chino could take him out of Japan, somewhere far away...like Europe...no, maybe not Europe. He couldn't go back to America, that was for sure...maybe South America. He hadn't been there before and it seemed like a great start. He'd have his own house, lock the boy in a cage and pull him every night for his use. No one would ever know where they were. His family would never find him. He'd probably go the extra mile and leave a ransom note, stating that the boy was his now, change his name and everything. Then...then when Sono grew up, maybe even hit 13, Chino could start teaching him about the rest of his sexual awakenings. It sounded amazing, it sounded perfect, it sounded....

.....

It sounded like a death wish. Chinos mind suddenly cleared and he gasped to himself, sitting on his bed and running both hands through his hair, eyes wide and the taste of bile on his tongue. 

This was his best friends son he was talking about. How in the world could he even think of doing something so horrible, so sinful. No. He couldn't do this. No amount of his sick desires could convince him that he could do this. 

It had gone too far. He had to leave soon. If he stayed in this house any longer, he'd do something unforgivable. But he also knew if he just up and left without saying anything, Kenji would immediately assume something was wrong. Maybe...maybe he could talk to him about this without giving away too much information. Kenji was his best friend. He'd understand a little bit, wouldn't he?

He clearly wouldn't tell him about him violating his son, obviously, but if he just came out and explained why he left for so many years, perhaps Kenji could help him, maybe get him into some treatment. He had done it once before and it seemed to work a little bit. Yes, that's what he'd do. He'll talk to Kenji as soon as he got home. 

"He'll understand, he has to. We've been through everything together. I got that man more than he ever wanted and he's always thanked me. And he's always tried to help me better myself...yes. He'll....he'll have to help me. Cause that's what friends do. They help each other. He won't hurt me. He won't shun me. I'm like his brother. He'll have to understand what I'm going through."

He kept pacing around his room, talking to himself, convincing himself of everything he spoke aloud. And he didn't know that outside his door, Naomi stood there, listening to him and pressed her hand on her chest, growing more and more concerned with every passing second. Whatever he was referring to must have something to do with why Chino left the states. And she couldn't stop a gasp from leaving her mouth as she feared something serious. 

She had to call her husband and at least inform him of the upcoming conversation. This was something he had to know now before it escalated out of control. 

Her footsteps were silent as she walked to the master bedroom, pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Kenjis office number, waiting for his secretary to pick up. 

_"Thank you for calling Hanasaki-san's office, this is Anna, how can I direct your call?"_

"Anna, it's Naomi. Is he busy?"

_"I'm very sorry, madam, but he's actually still in his meeting. They should be done soon though, I'd say maybe 10 minutes. Did you want me to pull him out for a moment so you could talk?"_

The offer was tempting and Naomi knew this conversation couldn't wait for much longer. She had to tell him soon or she was going to explode. 

But it wasn't until she heard the sound of a door opening and she froze, thinking it was Chino making his way down the hall. Then she heard little sniffles getting louder and her heart skipped a beat, running to her door and saw her 6 year old son limping down the hallway, tears in his eyes. Her heart then crashed as she spoke into the phone, 

"No, Anna, that's ok. Just tell him to call me the second he gets done with his meeting"

_"Yes ma'm. I'll let him know."_

Naomi didn't hear the rest of the response before she hung up her phone and met her son halfway down the hall, pulling him into her arms and hugged him tightly, kissing his face. 

"Oh baby, you have no idea how happy I am to see you. Do you realize how worried we've been about you? What happened? Locking yourself away for a week? What were you thinking? Oh hell it doesn't matter right now. I'm just so happy you came out."

She continued to kiss his face and shower him with affection before pulling back to look him over, seeing his tired brown eyes and sunken face. His hair was sticking out everywhere and she cringed. 

"Baby, you stink. Have you just been laying in bed all week? Christ, let's get you cleaned up and into some fresh clothes. We'll use mommy and daddy's bathroom, ok? Let's go."

Gently, she scooped her child up in her arms and carried her into her room and into the large bathroom, turning on the tub and pulled down the drain stopper, taking a moment to pour some scented bath flowers and oils in the tub. As the water rose, she began to unbutton her sons shirt, peeling it off his body, seeing how he winced a little. But that's not what surprised her the most. 

What surprised her was the bruises on his arms, more so his wrists and forearms. They looked an angry sort of purple. Peering behind him, she noticed some marks on the back of his thighs. 

Her mind began to race rapidly, her brown eyes narrowing in confusion. Surely this wasn't just from bed sores. This was something different entirely. 

"Sono...sweetie, what happened to you?"

The boy couldn't give much response as there was another voice ringing down the hall, making its way into the bathroom. 

"Hey mom, can go to the book store later? Miyuki called and said they have new prep books and--oh my god, ototo-san...."

Otos words trailed off as he ran into the bathroom and hugged his naked brother tight against his chest, immediately stepping back after smelling his hair. 

"God, did you secretly go dumpster diving while you were in your room? You smell terrible."

The boy flushed and looked away while Naomi sternly reprimanded Oto for his words, followed by, 

"Sweetie, go into his room and look around. See if there's anything out of place. Also, take apart his bed. His sheets, pillow cases, everything and get them in the washing machine. Remake his bed and come right back here. You have 10 minutes."

There was no negotiating with that. When Naomi gave a time limit, things were serious. Oto nodded and ran out of the bathroom and into his brothers room, instantly gagging at the smell. While the room itself was still clean, the smell was terrible. It was like sweat that had lingered for so long with out ventilation of any kind. On the boys bed, Oto pulled back the comforter and sheets before turning his attention to the bedspread....he froze at the sight of what looked to be a dried brown spot or two in random places all over his bed. His pillow cases even had some spots here and there. 

Some yellow stains were in the empty areas as well and Oto didn't even want to think about what had happened in the span of a week. He pulled the spread off and yanked the pillow cases before gathering all the soiled cloth and went out of the room to the upstairs laundry room, dumping it all in the large washing machine, not even measuring the detergent, dumping it in with some liquid fabric softener and turned the washer to heavy, hearing it roar to life. While he took a quick breath, he opened the linen closet, pulling out a new spread, new sheets and new pillow cases, running back into his brothers room and remade the bed, pausing to open a window, letting the cold air pulse in, but also to hopefully blow the smell away. 

It seriously reeked in here and Oto couldn't tell why. Even while making the bed, he had question after question going through his mind. What could have caused all this? Sono had outgrown bed wetting when he was 4 so it couldn't be that. Could it have been the same thing that kept him locked in here for so long? 

All these questions had Oto growing furious as he threw the last pillow case on the bed, bolting back to his mother in record speed, only just running in as she was washing her sons hair. She turned to face him and gave him a look; Oto nodded, answering her unasked question and she let out a sigh of relief. 

"Good. That's one thing taken care of...here, can you finish up? Your father called me back. I need to talk to him and we need to....have a discussion."

Oto wasted no time in rolling up his sleeves, taking his mothers place to wash his brothers hair, loving the smell of lavender in his gold locks. As he scrubbed, he turned his head to look at his mother, asking, 

"Discussion about what, mom? About Sono?"

Naomi sighed again, pulling out her phone and hit redial, shaking her head and said, 

"No, Oto. About our house guest."

No other words were exchanged as Naomi walked into the bedroom, shutting the door as she talked to her husband. Oto said nothing and turned his attention back to his brother and saw how his brown eyes stared at him, earning a smile. 

"Hey, kiddo. You gave us a scare......look, I didn't mean what I said. I don't want you to rot in your room. I was just scared. You weren't answering me and you hadn't come out in days and I-"

He was stopped when he felt his brothers hand touch his wrist, a tiny smile on his face. It made Otos heart sing and he hugged his little brother tight again, getting shampoo in his dry hair and he chuckled, clearly not caring. He gently pushed him back so he could rinse the water out of his hair, laughing when Sono splashed him a little in the face. It was nice to have this little moment of joy after a week of worrying stress. Oto splashed him back, tickling him under his ribs, laughing as his baby brother nearly screamed in laughter, a very satisfying sound to hear after so long. His eyes shifted towards his mother for a moment, seeing how she paced around her room, phone in hand, other hand waving around as she talked. 

She mentioned she and Kenji had to discuss their house guest....that was clearly Chino...Oto knew he didn't like the man, but what did he do to make mom so angry with him....

His eyes widened suddenly as he slowly turned back to look at his brother, who was looking back at him, confused. Could that man have done something to his little brother? Did he hurt him...Oto couldn't even begin to think about that. There was no way. Father would have known instantly. 

Could he?

* * *

It had just hit 8 pm when Kenji knocked on Chinos door, startling the man from his book and his thoughts. He smiled and shut his book, setting it down and said, 

"Evening, friend. How was work?"

Kenji said nothing, and Chino recognized that look on his face. He was angry about something, but at the same time, conflicted about the anger. He leaned against the door frame, staring at his friend and simply said, 

"We need to talk."

The blood in Chinos body went cold for a moment, but he kept his composure and nodded, scooting over on the bed so Kenji could sit down. It was tense between them for a moment. Neither man was good with these sorts of situations but after the conversation he had with Naomi a little over an hour ago, Kenji felt this could not wait another day. If it had something to do with his friend, he deserved to know. Even if he had to ask himself.

Chino smiled at him, saying, 

"What's on your mind, Ken? Something happen?"

"Yeah...yeah, I'd say so....listen, Naomi called me today and...told me some things...things you said to her. Something about the reason you left America..."

The smile Chino had on his face faded in a nanosecond as he scowled, saying, 

"Oh...so she did tell you, huh. I told her that in confidence. She had no right to-"

Kenji stopped him by glaring hard at him, snapping off, 

"Chino, she's my wife. I expect her to tell me these things if she feels they're important....and you're my best friend...I'd say this is pretty fucking important for her to tell me. Especially because you didn't even come clean to me about it."

"I understand that. But even still-"

"But nothing. She said you hurt someone serious and that's why you left America. But you didn't tell her anything else. I'm asking you now, as your friend....what did you do? Maybe I can help you."

Chino gaped at Kenji for a moment, eyes shining. He knew it. He knew Kenji would understand him if he just explained it all. He folded his hands together and sighed, saying, 

"Well, I left Japan after dropping out of medical school for some...pretty stupid reasons. I was bored and I felt like I could do more if I explored the world. So I stopped in this state...Maryland...to see what I could do. I ended up staying there for 7 years. Learned English, got a job as an assistant at this children's clinic...it was great. I love what I did there. I met so many wonderful people, Kenji. And I knew that I could make something of myself there. I was happy..."

Chino stopped talking for a minute to exhale, running his hand through his hair and looked at his friend, who watching him with hawk like eyes. The man chuckled and continued, 

"One day, this man came in with his son, little 10 year old, cute little thing. Remember I said that your son reminded me of a kid I knew in the states. That was this kid. Murphy Bricks. Blond hair, blue eyes, horrible diet, haha. His father brought him in one day for a check up, saying that Murphy was complaining of major stomach pains. Originally, the family thought it was because of all the junk food he ate. But I found out it was actually a stomach virus and prescribed him some medicine, along with a bed rest referral. The kid and I got along through out his whole physical and I even got along great with his dad. We became fast friends and I became like a family member to them. I ate dinner at their home, played golf with Mr. Bricks every Sunday. It was like I achieved my dream of proving something of myself."

Kenji was beginning to get confused. Naomi had mentioned something about Chino ruining someones life and that's why he left. Surely there was a part he missed. He said nothing and allowed his friend to continue talking. 

"Well, one night, I was closing up the clinic and I get a frantic call from Mr. Bricks, saying that Murphy was puking a lot and crying about a migraine and begged me to come over. In America, they don't really have house call doctors anymore, but because I knew the family personally, I was more than willing to look at him. It turns out he had eaten something pretty old and his body just rejected it. He was fine, but I told him to stay in bed for the night....well...his father asked if I could stay a bit longer so he and his wife could run into town for something and they didn't feel like leaving their son alone. I, of course, said yes....at some point I went up and checked on him, seeing that he was sleeping...he looked so peaceful...so...vulnerable...I....I don't know what came over me. He...he wore just a pair of pajama pants and...I couldn't stop myself. I...did things to him..."

It was all staring to become clear now and Kenji felt his insides beginning to churn once Chino said it. The man looked broken about it, staring at a wall, not even stopping his story. 

"3 times...I violated that boy 3 times in a span of 30 minutes...fuck, it felt so good...but when I came to my senses and saw him crying at me...I...I freaked out. I grabbed my stuff and fled. I didn't even look back. I bought a plane ticket to this place...Colorado and just...started over there. But the memory of Murphy crying at me...I panicked and checked myself into a hospital, thinking I was going crazy. I had never once had the urge to touch a child in such a way and to do what I did...I was scared. I stayed in that hospital for 3 years and when I checked out, I thought I was ready to start over...but then...about 4 months into my new life, I leave my apartment to see several people staring at me weird, a mother screamed at me and I got confused. Then a man approached me, asking if I knew a man named Joseph Bricks...my heart dropped. He informed me that Joe was on a man hunt for me...for doing what I did to his son...I was stupid to ask how Murphy was because the man told me Murphy committed suicide, mentioned me in his note, telling everyone what I did...I had no other choice. Before the cops got to me, I fled back home...I landed in Yokohama and stayed there, thinking of what I was going to do...then I realized you were still in Fukushima and I knew you'd be the one to help me...and now you know and now you'll help me right? You'll get me into treatment?"

The air was thick enough to cut with a chainsaw. The hopeful look Chino was giving...it made Kenji even more sick to his stomach. This had suddenly become so much more worse than he had ever imagined. 

Getting up from the bed, he backed away from the man, hand on his mouth, not able to find words. It took him a while to find his brain and literally force something to come out of his mouth. 

What came out was, 

"You...you're telling me you...had...relations...with a child...."

"Call it what it is, Ken. I had sex with him, yes."

God, just hearing it made Kenji double over, pushing back the urge to vomit all over his floor. And fuck, why did Chino have that smug look on his face like everything was ok. Did he really just say that he'd help him with this? Where did he even get off asking that kind of question?

Moving his hand away from his mouth, turning his back to him, Kenji, as calmly as he could, asked, 

"Where there any others....other than that one?"

"Kenji-"

"Don't you fucking lie to me, Chino! How many! It couldn't have been just one!"

Chino sighed and thought to himself, poking his chin with his thumb and said, 

"I wanna say...3. After Murphy, it was more like some 16 year olds I picked up. But they told me they were 18, so that kinda makes me a victim too, right? You work in the law, so that counts?"

"You had sex...with 3 minors...one of which you brutally raped...oh my god....oh my god...oh my god...oh my god..."

Chino stood up quickly and walked over to his friend, extending his arm, saying, 

"C'mon, Ken. I was honest with you. You asked and I told you. But you'll help me right? I'm asking you as my friend. Will you help me get treatment? I know I can reform into society at some point. So come on. I've helped you with plenty of things growing up."

Kenji turned to face him quickly, eyes wide and near black with hidden rage. Chino noticed and lowered his hand, backing away for a second. 

So many things crossed into Kenjis mind at this point. He hadn't expected something this at all...he felt sick, he felt anger, he felt everything under the sun want to burn him alive. Or at the very least burn Chino alive. 

Because how dare this sick bastard poison his home with this horrid knowledge. Naomi must have had some idea; that's why she told him. And his sons, oh god they were in this house....with....

A flicker went off in his head and he saw red in seconds, staring at Chino with a dark, sharp look, asking, 

"Chino...did you touch my boys?"

A pause. 

"What? What does that have to-"

Kenji exploded. 

"DID YOU FUCKING TOUCH EITHER OF MY BOYS?!" 

Chino said nothing, but was not shocked to be asked such a question. He expected it though. He was quite sure Sono hadn't said anything to anyone, but he also knew the devastating results it lead to. 

After all, if Murphy were alive, he'd be 20 by now, living his own life. And because Chino did what he did and fled...well, he came this far. He may as well be honest. 

"You have my word, Ken. I have not touched them."

It did little to calm the man down and Chino felt ridiculous for lying. But now that he was caught, it was time to act quickly. 

"Get...the fuck out of my house."

Well, Chino certainly wasn't expecting that. His eyes widened and he asked, 

"What? What are you talking about?"

"Get your stuff and leave. Do not come back here...do not call me ever again."

"I don't get it. I came here just to talk to you about-"

"You came here under the guise of a fucking holiday! You're standing here telling me that the only reason you came here was to get my legal help and put you in treatment...for something so disgusting...no. I stand by my word. Get out of my house."

"Kenji, are you serious? I'm asking you for help-"

"There is no help for people like you. Had I had any idea this is who you were, I would not have subjected my family to this. Look at this through my perspective. I'm a father. I have two sons. The fact that you told me this putrid story makes me fear for them even more now...no...no, I refuse to help someone who thinks it's ok to do this and flee like a goddamn coward...take your shit and get out of my city. And if you show your face around my family again...there is no God or Devil that will save you from the likes of me."

That was that. Chino knew he had lost this round. And he felt betrayed. Crushed, he filled his bag with his clothes and other belongings, marching out the door, but not before stopping to whisper to Kenji in his ear, 

"You'll regret this, you know. You can't protect your precious boys forever. They're both bound to fuck up somewhere and when that happens, you'll wish you understood me better."

Kenji could not give two hells as to what that meant as he turned to spit in the mans face, venom coating his words. 

"Get out of my face, you snake."

And within minutes, Chino had left the house, leaving Kenji to sit on the guest bed, trembling madly. He was grateful Naomi took the boys out to the park for a while, to avoid any of this madness. But now the question remained as to how to tell Naomi what he just learned. Oh god...she'd be irate. He already was at the point of livid. 

No..he'd tell her later when things calmed down. He had to calm himself down for when they came home...but something still froze in his mind. 

Chino had stated he hadn't touched Oto nor Sono, but somewhere in the back of Kenjis mind, he sensed that was a lie. Oto would have said something anyway...but Sono...he was more timid about things and considering he hadn't left his room in a week, doing nothing but crying and...

"NO! I can't let myself think that! Chino did not touch my sons. He couldn't have. I would have known about it...I would have sensed something was wrong..."

But even saying it aloud didn't make the matter easier. He looked at himself in the mirror, trying hard not to imagine Chino going into either Oto or Sonos rooms at night...with an enraged roar, Kenji punched the mirror so hard, it exploded under the force, cutting his fist. 

This was getting him no where. And he felt like if he asked either of them, he'd break down into hysterics. But he still was their father...he had to be strong...

* * *

Kenji couldn't sleep that night. He layed awake in his bed, staring at the ceiling, internally beating himself up for not addressing this when Naomi and the boys came home. When Oto had asked where Chino was, all Kenji had said was that the man left early to finish his work. Naomi seemed suspicious, but at the very least happy the man was finally gone. 

But Kenji didn't stop there. He pulled both his boys into a tight embrace, telling them he loved them so much. Oto looked to Sono, who looked back equally confused, but hugged back regardless. 

Now, at 1 am, he couldn't sleep a wink. Turning his head over to his wife, who slept soundly next to him, he sighed. So long as this nightmare was over, he was fine. He really should have beaten the living hell out of that disgrace of a man, called the police, something. 

Why didn't he? Why did he let him off free with just a slap on the wrist?

Was it because Chino had once been his friend and Kenji was in shock to hear how his so called friend had such a poisonous desire....so much that he couldn't react properly. 

He was making himself irritated by thinking about this. Getting out of bed, he walked to his bathroom and turned on the sink to splash cold water in his face. It helped a little, but after looking at himself in the mirror, he thought otherwise. 

In the back of his mind, he was screaming. There was no amount of parenting tips to help him through something like this. How could he even ask for help on this? It wasn't like he could say, 

'My sons were quite possibly raped by someone I thought was my friend, what do I do?'

Because the answer would always be the same. Kill the man responsible. And Kenji wanted to so badly. Drive the barrel of his pistol into Chinos mouth and pull the trigger. His own father had killed for the sake of his family. Kenji had killed people to protect his pregnant wife. 

Killing for his children seemed like a no brainer. 

He groaned loudly, pressing a hand to his forehead and tried to take deep breaths. All he needed was to take a sleeping pill and go back to bed. Put this whole thing behind him. 

He opened his medicine cabinet, pulling out a bottle of sleeping pills and set them aside to fill his bathroom glass with cold water. He didn't get far as he noticed his hand shaking, shuddering as he willed himself to take a small sip before taking the pills. The water glass went up to his mouth, 

and crashed to the floor the second he heard a blood curdling scream come from his youngest sons room.

_Backtrack 20 minutes_

Sono tossed and turned in bed most of the night after his mother tucked him in. He seemed to be much better, his fever had since gone away and he wasn't coughing as much. Maybe the doctor was right. Maybe he was just stressed. 

He had every reason to be. Every night for a week....daddy's friend would sneak in here...touch him and tell him dirty things. The child shook his head and threw a pillow over his face, willing the images away. Chino had forced him to not tell a soul...if he did, he'd lose his hands. And Sono was sure he needed his hands for his life ahead. 

But it was hard. He didn't know how to deal with these things. The first night, and every night since, Sono would sob in his pillows, aching all over from his back down. He refused to leave his bedroom, for fear of Chino pulling him back inside and hurting him all over again. 

He didn't bathe, he didn't eat, he barley left his bed save for using the bathroom. The sweat and the dried blood from before was starting to make his room smell something horrid...he remembered when he finally left his room, unable to stand the smell anymore and his mother was quick to shower him with love...and a much needed bath. 

Oto had cleaned his bed, aired his room out and now, the smell was no longer present. He could sleep easier now. 

Or he had hoped. 

Tonight had been a little easier; When Kenji came home, Naomi took the boys out to the indoor parks and arcades for some fun while he talked with Chino. It made Sono nervous all night; what if Chino told his father everything that happened between them? His father would be furious...would he hate him for not fighting back like true Hanasaki men should?

It seemed to not be the case as when they came home, their father hugged both he and his brother so tightly, he could feel his small back pop. And it soothed him immediately.  So much so that he felt better sleeping alone, or at least attempt to sleep. 

His eyes were closed and he settled against his fluffy pillows, wanting so badly to go back to school already. He had missed so much. Takeo was probably worried sick...

His eyes snapped open when he felt his bed dip suddenly and his heart stopped, turning his head to take a look...he almost screamed, he was sure he did, but a large hand slammed on his mouth to silence him, earning a scared squeak.

It was Chino, but he looked...more devious than before. He smelt like alcohol and smoke...he looked angry. 

"It seems your daddy found out about me...but don't worry, I didn't tell him about us. I'm not that stupid."

Chino leaned down to lick the boys face again, once again making the child shiver and tears bead in his eyes. The man chuckled. 

"See, now that he's found out, I have to leave here tonight. I can't stay in Fukushima anymore, let alone Japan....But I am not leaving alone."

His hand left the boys mouth and reached into his back pocket, pulling out a white cloth and a small bottle with clear liquid. Everything in Sonos body switched into gear as he understood instantly what was happening. 

In an attempt to get away and off the bed, he got to his stomach and tried to crawl away, only to have Chino grip his hair tightly, pulling him back up and lick his ear, whispering, 

"Now now, no running away, honey. I've made my mind up. But it's alright. We'll have a good life elsewhere. I promise. I'll take care of you every night, give you everything you could ever want. Doesn't that sound great?"

Chino emphasized his words by trailing his free hand down the boys backside, down to where his sinful acts always were and shoved three of his large fingers inside, quickly covering the boys mouth so he couldn't scream out. Still, the boy struggled to get away, twisting to scratch the man across the face and pull away, his fingers slipping out and the boy trying to get out of the bed. 

Infuriated, Chino gripped the boys left wrist and slammed him back onto the bed, taking his other hand, bringing it over to his crotch, whispering in his ear, 

"Feel it. I said fucking feel it."

The boy didn't even try to move his hand. His arm was twisted in a weird angle and it was starting to hurt more and more. Impatient, Chino released the boys hand and gripped his hips, forcing his head into the pillow and slammed himself inside, loving the way the boys muffled screams sounded in the pillow. Keeping one hand on his hip and the other twisting his arm back, he began to thrust wildly, laughing to himself, pulling the boys arm back more and more.

"See? This is what you get to look forward to every night with me. You'll grow to love it, they almost always do. I'll be gentle once you do. It'll just take some getting used to."

His thrusts didn't stop and he became so drunk with his lustful ideals, he didn't realize how hard he was twisting the boys arm. Sonos face had risen up from the pillow to breath so he wasn't smothered, but he felt all the bones in his arm struggling to maintain. And when Chino gave a particularly hard thrust, he gripped the boys arm so hard and so fast the the bones finally gave and broke. The effect was immediate.

Sono let out a piercing scream in pain that it caused Chino to stop all movement, fear settling in his bones. He backed away from him, slipping from the boys bloody entrance and stared at him in disbelief. His arm twisted the opposite way, tears of absolute agony pouring down his face. 

There was no escaping that. In seconds, Chino heard a glass break from down the hall and a voice call, 

"Sono?! What's going on?! Are you alright?!"

Chino was prepared to die tonight. And he smiled, licking his lips, ready for the plunge. The bedroom door slammed open and Naomi let out a scream of her own, seeing her son they way he was. She ran over to him and got him on his back, trying to calm him down through his screaming and thrashing around. Oto was next to run in, almost dying on the spot as he saw what was going on. He ran up to his brother, getting in bed and tried to help his mother calm him down, seeing how twisted his arm was. 

Kenji, however, was rooted to the doorway, eyes wide in horror. This could not be happening. There was no way...

A bottle rolled over to his bare feet, earning his attention as he reach down and grabbed it, looking it over for a moment. His vision once again saw red.

Chloroform...

A chuckle was heard from behind him and Kenji then realized the blood in his body went solid ice. 

"I told you...you can't protect them forever..."

Naomi and Oto, both shocked to see the man standing there by the window, each grew more and more angry with every passing second. Naomi screamed out with tears in her eyes, 

"You sick bastard!! How could you?!"

Oto pointed at him with a shaking finger, 

"I knew I couldn't trust you! You hurt my brother...you raped my brother, you sick...sick!"

Kenji said nothing; it was as if he went blind and deaf for a moment before it suddenly swam right back. Both his wife and oldest son were screaming at the man near the window and Chino could only wave his hands in defeat. The world was slow for a second as Kenji looked at his son in bed, tears pouring down his pale cheeks, blood on the back of his legs and his arm facing the other direction. It was like their minds were in sync for a split moment as he heard Sono scream out, 

"DADDY! HELP ME!"

Everything shifted into focus and Kenji couldn't stop his fist as it collided with Chinos face, knocking him against the wall and onto the floor. Not even a second later, Kenji gripped him by his shirt and threw him onto the ground, straddling his hips and began an onslaught of punches to his face. He didn't stop. He couldn't.

"I trusted you.. ***punch***....you were my friend ***punch*** and I trusted you! ***punch***....how fucking dare you ***punch***...you lied to me ***punch***....you swore you didn't touch either of my sons ***punch***...you fucking scum!! ***punch***."

Half way through his assult, he stopped when he heard Chino laugh at him, spitting his blood into his old friends face, saying, 

"You...haha....you were always so trusting....I didn't even try....to get to your oldest...but....your youngest...haha...reminds me of the first boy...the one I drove to suicide...a weeks worth...how does that feel now, Ken?"

A weeks worth...oh the rage in Kenji's body boiled over to a fierce volcano. With Chino laughing and his baby sobbing in pain, Kenji felt nothing more than pure, paternal rage.

"I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!"

With one last punch to Chinos head, the man was out cold and Kenji pulled back, shaking in fury with blood all over his clothes and skin. He stared at his fist for a moment, his hearing coming back into focus, hearing Naomi tell Oto to call the police. Oto then ran out to grab his fathers cell phone, running back into the room and dialed 119, tears rolling down his face as he tried to explain what had happened over the phone. 

Kenji finally stood and walked over to the bed, his eyes settling and he even felt tears trickle down his face as he gently took his son from his wifes arms, holding him close and gripping his head. Naomi set her hand over her mouth, unsure of what else to do or say. Oto had hung up the phone, saying the police and an ambulance was on the way, along with Henia and many of the other division captains around the area. 

The man was dreading the repercussions of this day. No one would even think to convict him of a crime, as he had a pretty solid feeling Chino was either dead or dying, but he wasn't concerned about that. What the hell was he supposed to say to the media...he knew they'd come around asking. 

Just the idea of his 6 year old sons rape plastered everywhere drove him to more fury. He'd have to find a way so they wouldn't know. His family would not go through the shame and the fear. He refused. He'd find a way. He always had. 

In a matter of moments, the front of their home was flooded with cops and paramedics, taking both Sono and Kenji to the best facility in the area, while cops found that Chino was, somehow, still alive after all that and took him to the nearest prison hospital, far away from the family. Far away from Fukushima. 

Kenji's fist was wrapped up nicely, but the family spent their time outside their boys room, seeing the young child in a coma, tubes attached to his nose and mouth, his arm in a tight cast. Naomi had been crying on her husbands shoulder and Oto was pressed against the window, demanding to know when Sono was going to wake up, tears staining his glasses. 

The man had no answer for them; He felt self horror after realizing he couldn't protect his own child from someone so clearly insane. Someone he used to trust. 

Feeling generous, Kenji had phoned the Mizuno family, having the father tell Takeo that Sono would be out for a bit longer due to health complications and in a private hospital...he left it at that. The boy didn't need to know anything else. 

After a few days, Sono woke up from his coma, screaming from a nightmare regarding Chino breaking into his hospital room. Nurses were called in to strap him down, but Kenji and Naomi would have none of it. They all sat with him in that room, comforting him and giving him as much love as they could. Oto tried to tell Sono funny stories, but found he couldn't stop crying every time he looked at his brothers broken arm. 

The whole family was strained; Sonos condition would most likely not get better due to his fragile state. The hospital they were in gave them possible suggestions as how to deal with something like this. And none of them sounded appealing to either parent. It wouldn't sound appealing to any parent. 

But the next night, Sono suffered a night terror so severe his small heart almost gave out and he eventually refused to sleep at all. It became clear they had no choice in the matter anymore. 

So, 4 days after Chino was arrested for rape, sexual assault of a minor, attempted kidnapping and many other charges against him, sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole, 6 year old Sono Hanasaki was admitted to the Chiba Mental Institution.

And remained there for over 4 months. 

_TBC_

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is more like an interlude chapter before we go on the next half of the story. Hope everyone is enjoying so far! 
> 
> Well, as one can enjoy sad stories like this. It only gets angstier from here and it only gets more upsetting. 
> 
> All of the sadness has to happen. Sorry not sorry.

A good amount of his staff had shown up for the mandatory meeting, which is what he had expected from the beginning. Mandatory was just a word he liked to use to fill up the conferance room and it honestly didn't matter if everyone showed up.

More than likely, his announcements would be emailed throughout the company by Henia later. It was how these things usually worked.

He wished this meeting was held on better conditions; but everything that had happened in the last several weeks....no...months....it was draining Kenji to a point of fury, something his staff had become familiar with, although not by choice. It didn't help that he had spent all this time locked in his office, screaming at his computer, throwing things at the walls whenever a phone came through (of which his secretary didn't know anyone by the name of Dr. Mirotsu), and near the end of the work day, Henia would find his boss with his head on his desk, almost as if he were sleeping and the office would be in disarray. Henia had suggested Kenji take a day or two off to clear his head, but from the mumbling that he vaguely heard, he caught some snipits of 'not yet' or 'too ashamed to face him.' 

It confused his poor assistant; it confused his workers and it didn't look good to his potential clients and business acquaintances for him to be acting this way. It wasn't like he wanted to act like such a child...considering it was a child that was making him feel this way to begin with.

When it came time for him to finally make the call to schedule a meeting regarding his behavior, he sat at his desk with Dr. Mirotsu to discuss the...'progress' being made at the hospital...which wasn't much, but Kenji knew to anticipate this. No one in his family had to go through something like this...but then, he couldn't think of any family who had gone through this and he felt pity for the ones who did. After the doctor made some suggestions (or rather severe recommendations) as to what Kenji could do, being the sole provider for his family, it was hard to think about. Kenji knew he could take all the time he needed, but he also knew that if he were willing to take time away from his work, he'd have to give his staff a reason as to why. It wasn't necessary, but he felt it was the right thing to do. If Kenji were to suddenly up and leave for months on end without any explanation, not even to Henia, it would be chaos. And the man knew it couldn't continue that way. He needed to be open with his staff about the less than appropriate attitude he had been showcasing for a while.

Because even he was man enough to admit he had been treating his staff like the lowest of shit. And that wasn't fair on them. Hence the out of no where mass email to his company to muster in the main conference room at 2 pm sharp. That being in less than 2 hours, it was sure to raise some questions. And of course it did; he could see the concern and confusion all over their faces all around the room as he walked up to the podium, papers in his hand and a hollow look in his eyes. He didn't want to do this. The last thing he wanted to do was take time off like this, but if he wanted any progress to happen, he needed to do this.

With a heavy sigh, he stood at his podium, staring into the large room full of his loyal staff, Henia sitting up front looking at his boss with a confused stare. It wasn't like Kenji to just suddenly call a mandatory meeting without a weeks notice. He was much more organized than this, even on his worst days. This must've been serious...it had to have been. He hadn't seen Kenji this drained at work since...since before Sono was born and he and Naomi were fighting all the time. 

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the company's head exhaled and looked out to his crew, speaking clear into the mic, the strain of his personal life hidden deep that only Henia could hear. It didn't sound like exhaustion.

It sounded like shame.

"Thank you all for coming on such short notice. I realize you all have tasks to complete, deadlines to reach. This will be brief, though I do have much to say."

Kenji stopped and looked over his papers, having written a whole speech about what he had wanted to talk about. He spent the last hour on it and now, as his brown eyes gleamed at it, he hated his words on these sheets of paper. Setting them down, he sighed again and said, 

"For starters, I apologize for my recent behavior and mood...I have no been following my own standards on moral and it hurts me deeply that I put that burden on you all. And while I cannot say that these last few months have been easy, I can say I will try to not let them get in the way of what we need to do to make this work. The people of Fukushima depend on us for legal protection when others cannot and I will not slip so far to let such trivial things get in the way of that."

There was a thump in his chest as he spoke those words, his heart clenching at the mere idea of his situation. He truly didn't mean to say such a thing. He did not mean to call his sons hospitalization 'trivial.' The image of his child sitting in his hospital bed, ignoring nurses and doctors alike, it pained him. He was a fool to put him in that place to begin with, but he was so mentally and emotionally hurt by what had happened that those officials caught him at a weak point, making certain that Sono was there longer than both Kenji and Naomi would have like. 

Naomi would barely talk about it at first, feeling angry that they hadn't caught onto it sooner. She would yell at herself in the mirror, calling herself a terrible mother for not seeing the signs. Kenji could only comfort her the best he could, though deep down, he didn't feel like the best father either. He didn't catch the signs either, didn't see how Chino had looked at his own child. 

He couldn't imagine the pain Sono went through by keeping that a secret. Before they dropped him off at the institute, Sono had broken down and told them everything, even including things he couldn't bring up to the police...Kenji felt his blood bursting in earnest, recalling how he told the chief of police to bust Chinos legs before hauling him to prison...in exchange for the threat of breaking his sons hands. 

Since dropping him off, Kenji had only been able to see the boy 3 times a week, always in the evening so he could have dinner with him. His work had chosen the worst time to double up on summer projects and tasks, keeping the head busier than usual. It wasn't that he didn't like it; the extra work did keep his mind on things for a time before reality sunk in as he locked his office for the night. He could only sigh. The only plus being that Sono was never truly all alone while he was there. 

Naomi would be there first thing in the morning to eat breakfast with him, only leaving for a moment to pick up Oto and bring him there so he could see his brother. Then, on the weekends at 4, they would leave and Kenji would arrive an hour later to spend time with him, leaving at 9 for lights out for the patients. It burned him to leave his son there, even more so driving down the long road home, always thanking whatever God was out there that the Chiba Mental Care was not actually in Chiba. That would have been absolute hell.

The things that hurt the most was the look of joy Sono would have when he arrived at 5:15, hugging his waist tightly and trying hard not to cry. Combined with the look of heartbreak when Kenji would leave was even harder. Those brown eyes would grow clear with tears and Kenji would hug him, kiss him, tell him everything was going to be alright and to be strong. That this was not permanent and that he'd be home sooner than he thought. 

It hurt to lie to his child more than anything and he could tell Sono was not unwise to the deception. But he kept his head high and nodded every time, giving his father a hard hug before he left. Sometimes, Kenji would tuck the boy into his hospital bed and kiss his cheek, like they were still at home. But that was only the part he knew. 

It stung to think that the whole family couldn't visit him, not for lack of trying. Kenji had tried to sneak away from work and he had been told by Naomi three times that Oto had ditched school to catch a bus out there, only to be caught and returned to either the school or to the house. All attempts had been unsuccessful. 

The talk he had with Sonos doctor made it a little easier, to say the least. He had mentioned that the boy was making slight progress in his mental state, as it was, only have a few break downs here and there. As per their agreement, Kenji made it very clear that in the event of an absolute attack..not to sedate the boy. Sono was almost drugged and snatched from his bedroom. The mere idea of the doctors putting needles in his veins that would knock him out cold would send his head into a frenzy. Naomi had mentioned to Sono once that the doctors would not even think of trying to harm him and that the medicine would help in the short term, but Kenji saw different. 

He only saw his screaming child in his bloody bed, crying out for his help and that was all he needed to make his decision stand firm. 

Or so he thought. 

Naomi had called him paranoid, but she herself understood the fear. She couldn't even comprehend what she would do if she had received a phone call, telling her that they had no choice but to sedate him due to one of his attacks. She'd be livid, scared, horrified, everything in between. 

And another factor Kenji had to consider was not just his own state of mind, nor his wifes. 

He had Oto to think about as well and how he was handling this. 

For lack of a better expression, Oto was handling this about as well as he handled tests at school without studying. He was panicking day and night, constantly looking at the clock at school, waiting for the bell to ring at 2 so he could immediately meet his mother outside and drive the 45 minute drive to his brother. He hated that he was so far away now, even if it was for a temporary amount of time. And no matter how tired Oto was from school, he'd always be open armed for his brother to sprint into his arms, hugging him so tight that his ribs would crack. He would tell Oto about his therapy sessions and how he felt he was getting better, the saddened expression on Otos face making it hurt more. 

For as young as Oto was, he was smart enough to know Sono was not going to fully heal from this. There was no way. No amount of highly payed doctors from anywhere would take back all that was done. He'd repress it, probably for most of his adult life....maybe even forever. 

Instead of expressing his pain, Oto would smile and kiss his brothers head, sit on his bed and talk with him for hours before having to leave, always with an angry look at his mother, clearly non intentional. 

Kenji felt horrible for both his sons. His youngest was stuck in some facility and his oldest was trying to be the big brother and be strong throughout, but they're just children. Children shouldn't have to go through these sorts of things. Children should not have to suffer rape and threats of kidnapping....children should not have to be in hospitals just to cope with the nightmares....children should NOT have to be scared of the thoughts of never returning home, in fear of their parents not understanding the pain they endured. 

Kenji felt sick with these thought coursing in his brain. The doctor warned him of this, the regrets and the second guessing. He should have heeded that warning. Because now all he wanted to do was leave his building, drive out to that hospital and pull his child out, scream 'to hell with the consequences, he's my son and I will help him the only way I know how!'

The results would only be more painful. Sono needed medical care and Kenji had to trust these people to help his child push through it when he clearly didn't know how. 

It had only been a month and already, Kenji felt like this was a terrible mistake. All of it. If only he told Chino no to his request. If only he had seen the signs of his son being hurt by someone he trusted. 

There was clearly no going back. The deed was done and his son had taken the force of it. All Kenji could do now was internally hurt himself for not being able to protect his baby and suffer alone. 

His eyes closed as everything faded in his mind for a moment, feeling his body begin to shudder and the last thing he wanted to do was break down in front of his crew. But it was tough on him. His hands itched to hold his son again and he wasn't going to waste anymore time. The doctor recommended that Kenji be more involved with his sons recovery and not just for three days a week. While Naomi and Oto were there everyday and Kenji only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, Dr. Mirotsu noticed a shift with the boys behavior during sessions...violent shifts. 

Kenji opened his eyes to see the deeply concerned stare on every one of their faces and he sighed again, clearing his throat, 

"I cannot thank you enough for your patience in the matter. I understand that I have not been easy to work with as of late, but it is not without reason...reasons of which I can't give yet...maybe ever. I only ask that you trust me in this and have comfort that your head will not be so easily distracted in the future...with that said, I am taking this time to inform you all that because of unforeseen circumstances, I will be taking a short leave of medical absence. As per the usual formation in my stead, I leave all duties to my V.P in Tokyo, whom you can all contact should you have questions. He has been informed of the situation and is ready to accept temporary responsibility. I also ask my assistant, Henia, to send a formal email to the remaining staff who could not make it to the meeting today. Should anyone have any further concerns regarding my leave, I ask that you submit them to my email."

There was a moment of silence between everyone, people staring at each other in disbelief and confusion. Henia looked to be the most shocked at his bosses sudden announcement. Medical leave? Was that why that strange doctor was here several hours ago? What could be going on that Kenji Hanasaki would be taking sudden time off?

After that quick moment of quiet, the whole room burst into questions towards their boss, mostly for concern and understanding. Henia remained seated, quickly typing the email, almost absentmindedly, eyes pondering the situation. And once he hit send, everyone quieted down and pulled out their phones, confirming Henia had done his part. To which Kenji smiled at him and nodded, saying, 

"Please, no one get too riled up. As I stated, this is only until I can get this particular circumstance taken care of. I realize this is a bit of a shock, but I can assure you that this has nothing to do with my own well being...well...not entirely..."

Kenji had to stop himself from accidentally saying too much, instead clearing his throat one more time, saying, 

"This meeting is adjourned. Thank you all for understanding. Now, let's get back to business." 

Saying nothing more, he bowed and quickly left the room while everyone else piled out the other door, ready to get back to their desks and continue with the day...all except one. Henia remained back for a few moments, eyes narrow in suspicion. 

He had caught Kenjis little slip and instantly saw how the man hesitated, stumbling his words near the end. Something serious had happened. This was not just because Kenji claimed otherwise. It had something to do with him, maybe even his whole family. With that thought in mind, he stood and quickly made his way to the main office on the top floor, already dreading the conversation he was about to have. He was never one to pry into Kenjis personal life but after being his loyal assistant for as long as he was, not to mention being a friend to his family, he felt he should at least offer his help in anyway.

Finally to the top floor, he nodded to the secretary Anna, who looked at him confused and quietly mouthed to him, 

'What's going on?'

She was holding her phone, referencing the email he had sent out just moments ago. He mouthed back to her, 

'About to find out. Don't ask questions.'

She nodded and went back to her own work as he made his way into the office, already feeling a change in the atmosphere. Not to mention a change in his boss. 

Kenji had changed out of his suit jacket and dress shirt, changing instead to a loose grey shirt and left his slacks on. His hair was disheveled, like he had been running his hand through it rapidly. He was packing up his briefcase, already eager to leave the office after that meeting. And when he turned, he was greeted by his confused assistant, who could only ask one of many questions to his boss...his friend. 

"Kenji...what the hell is going on?"

He knew that tone. Henia was not speaking to his boss at this moment like he should have been....but Kenji couldn't find it in himself to care. He sighed, expecting this and mentioned for the man to shut the door. As he complied, Henia leaned against the door, watching the mans moves closely, seeing how he began to pace back and forth around the office, occasionally stopping to look at one of his pictures on his desk. 

After several moments of watching the man silently pace around, Henia cleared his own throat and said, as professionally as he could, 

"Sir, forgive me if I'm out of place. But...it's not like you to do what you just did. And you looked so defeated, so drained of anything. That's not the Kenji Hanasaki I know and respect. I'm not asking you as your assistant, but as your friend, what is going on? Why the sudden choice to take medical leave? Are you sick? Is Naomi-san? The boys? And who was that doctor in here? What did he tell you? My job is to help you with anything you need and-"

"NO. Your job is to do whatever I tell you and whenever I tell you and to NOT ask questions. Is that clear?"

Henia was taken back for a moment by the dark tone in his friends eyes and voice, but he stood firm, saying, 

"Yes, this is true. But we've been together for years now. And never once has anything been too hard for me to handle as your loyal right hand man. I do anything you ask me to. I run your meetings when you're swamped with paperwork, of which I also help with. I contact international and national business associates to discuss colabs, I take the brunt of all your work when you're having a bad day and never once do I complain....I babysit your boys when you and Naomi need time alone and you know I love those boys. I treat them like they're my nephews, you know that. I've taken Naomi shopping when you were down a car for whatever reason and she's like my own sister. I've done everything to make your life easier and all I ask is that you trust me the way you always have. Let me help you, sir. Just tell me what's going on."

God, he was making it hard to say no, Kenji could see that now. He shouldn't have snapped at him the way he did but after that meeting, all Kenji wanted to do was leave and Henia was his only road block. He was starting to get angry again, seeing red and he let out a snarl, sitting in his chair, rubbing his eyes to calm down and heard the man sit in the other chair. Something Henia said had struck hard in Kenji's brain and he tried his best not to growl out, 

"Trust....how can I trust anyone again after what he did...."

"Sir?"

"How in the hell can I trust anyone else after what that bastard did to my family...I took him into my home, fed him my food, let him sleep in one of my beds and this is how he repays me...If I had the chance, I'd see him burn in hell with my own eyes..."

Kenji stood suddenly, making Henia gasp for a second as those large hands slammed on the desk, piercing red shades shooting through Kenjis eyes, daggers into Henias own and the man gulped, unaware of where this was all coming from.

"You say you love my boys, Henia....would you...would you try anything with them? Would you try to take them away from me? After all I've done for you...would you dare take Oto and Sono from me...would you hurt them? Snatch them away from right under my goddamn nose...would you-"

Henia could see exactly where this was going and was horrified at the accusation. Standing quickly, he slammed his own hands on the desk and snapped out, 

"How dare you ask me that! Why in gods name would I even consider such a thought?! You know for a damn fact I wouldn't dream of hurting those boys. They're family to me. I would die for them just like I would die for you and Naomi-san...why are you asking me such ludicrous questions anyway? Why are you accusing me of..."

"Of what? Say it, Henia. What am I accusing you of, huh?!"

"Why the hell are you accusing me of thinking such sordid thoughts about your kids?! What kind of sick bastard would even think of shit like that?!"

"The kind of bastard that betrayed years of trust just to fuck with my family! I trusted him more than I ever trusted anyone back then and he has to go and lie to my face, hurt my son and even try to take him from me! I should have killed him when I had the chance...I should have ripped his goddamn eyes out and-"

A loud SMACK nearly vibrated the office as Henia struck his boss across the face, feeling all the tension shift and nearly fade in a seconds notice. Kenjis eyes faded back to its normal brown hue and he shuddered, touching his cheek where his assistant hit him, turning to face him and was not surprised to see the look of horror and anger written all over the mans face. 

"If you're quite done, Hanasaki-san...will you now tell me what's been going on?"

A straining pause filled the room as Kenji let out a shuddering breath, slumping back in his office chair and stared at his hands, seeing them tremble and his eyes widened. This was truly getting to him more than he had thought before. His wide eyes looked to his assistant, his friend and saw how scared and concerned he truly was, sitting back down and reached over to try and give his boss some sort of comfort. When Kenji pulled away, Henia saw a hint of despair in his eyes. This ran much deeper than he was leading on. 

"Sir? I'm sorry for my unprovoked act. But you're behaving like a man possessed. What's this about someone trying to take the boys away? Is someone spreading rumors again? Do we need to shut down another anchor station?"

"No...no nothing like that....and no...not my boys...just one...fuck....I shouldn't be here. I need to be with Sono...otherwise..."

"Wait, what? Something happened to Sono? What happened? Is he alright?"

"No, he's not...and that's my fear...I'm scared he won't be...damnit...Henia, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said what I said...you were not meant to hear those things."

"Well, I'm all ears now. What's been going on? For the last month you've been so hostile and your aura is so death like. What happened?"

Kenji said nothing, nothing but look at the family picture on his desk, running his thumb over it and rested his head in his open palm. Henia tried to piece things together, but it was becoming difficult to understand when his boss was not giving him any clues. At least not ones that he could...wait a minute.

Kenji had said that he had a friend staying with them for a few weeks for holiday and how this man was Kenjis friend in high school, his and Naomis'. And his presence apparently made Kenji happy for the most part...up until a while ago when Kenji didn't show for work for 6 days. And when he eventually did, he was furious. People avoided him like a mamba, Henia only getting close to go through his daily schedules and even then, it was tense. No one knew what caused the sudden change, but Kenji refused to discuss it. He had been so angry during a meeting that he left abruptly, not returning until the next day. Henia had tried to ask Naomi over texting if Kenji and his friend had a fight, but all he got out of her was that his 'friend' was no longer welcome in their house or in their lives. It was brief and Henia accepted it for the moment. But seeing how his boss was reacting to it, this fight, it stood to reason that his 'friend' did something that caused Kenji to explode. 

Not only that...Kenji had accused Henia of planning to take the boys away from him...doing things to them...such a thought made the man sick to his stomach. The very idea of doing such things to Oto and Sono....he would kill himself before even attempting anything. 

Suddenly, the world became clear and Henia stared at his boss in shock horror, seeing how he was avoiding his gaze. It all made sense. And just that sense made Henia even more sickly than he ever thought. 

"Are you telling me that that so called friend of yours....did something to him? Did he...did he touch him?"

When Kenji finally looked up at him, he gave a shuddering sigh and said, 

"And then some."

Now Henia understood 100% why Kenji was acting the way he was. And now he understood the reasons why he didn't anyone to know. If word got out that one of the Hanasaki boys was hurt in such a way...the media would explode and blow the entire story out of whack. It would be pandemonium. 

No words were exchanged at first between them; Henia merely placed his hand on his mouth, trying to find his words, anything. Kenji continued to stare at the picture, thumbing over both his sons faces, feeling the itch in his arms again. 

After a near eternity, Henia removed his hand and said, 

"I hope you at least kicked the shit out of him before he was taken in."

Kenji chuckled at that, removing his hand from the picture and said, 

"You'd think less of me otherwise?"

"I know you better than you think. I know you've killed people for looking at your wife a weird way and I certainly know you'd kill for the boys....but...I can see why you didn't kill this guy. He was your friend once. It's hard to imagine a trust like that being broken by something so terrible....god, I'm so sorry, Ken. I had no idea you were holding this burden."

"How could you have an idea. I tried so hard to keep this under control, but it's like my control is slipping everyday...everyday I'm away from them...from him...my heart aches. And he's not getting better, that's the worst of it. He's suffering deep down wither he tells us or not. I'm afraid those doctors are going to force him to repress this and one day...it just comes back full force and he won't be able to handle it. And we won't be there to help him. That terrifies me, Henia. I don't want Sono to be afraid of something like this....god, and the way Oto glares at me most days. Like he blames me for his brother being there...I know he blames me and he has every right to. It's not like I truly wanted to put him that hospital...fuck I don't know what I'm doing. This is beyond my knowledge of what to do..."

The man was having a near panic attack, Henia could see that. Getting up from his chair to offer assistance, Kenji raised his hand to decline and mention to sit back down, which the man did slowly. 

"It's my fault..I know it is. And I'm going to fix it. I refuse to let anyone touch Sono the way Chino did. I'll kill anyone who tries....but...I need time to collect on this. That's why I'm leaving for a while, Henia. I need to be with my family and I was stupid to think otherwise....do you understand and trust me on this?"

Henia gave his usual, loyal smile, getting to his feet and bowed, saying, 

"I do as you ask, Hanasaki-sama. And believe me, I won't tell a soul about this. You have my word. Just go. I'll cover the rest of the damage here. And I'll be certain that no one tries to contact you...you know, unless the building is on fire."

Kenji chuckled again and got to his feet, grabbin his jacket and briefcase, making his way to the door with Henia close behind him...then Kenji stopped and turned to face the other man, nodding at him. 

"I cannot tell you how grateful I am for having you here, Henia. You've gotten me out of some deep shit since I took over and words can't express-"

Henia stopped him with a hand to his shoulder and a soft smile, saying, 

"Think nothing of it, sir. The honor of being your assistant is mine alone. I'm proud to say I work for you. Now, enough of this sappy shit. Go and be with your family. Give Naomi my hello, give Oto a hug and...give Sono my love. I wish him the best of recovery."

Kenji nodded again and opened the office door, hearing Henia leave from behind as he turned to lock the door, immediately glancing at Anna, who looked greatly worried at her bosses state of appearance. He said nothing but gave her a soft grin before leaving with Henia to the elevator, sighing to himself as he pulled out his phone, seeing a text from Naomi, stating that she was going to pick up Oto and take him to the center. 

He surprised her in seconds telling her that he was taking time off to be with them and she had called him instantly, crying over the phone and he even heard Oto in the background, giving a snarky reply. Henia chuckled as he heard the exchange, giving his boss an awkward bow as Kenji left the building to the valet, giving the driver his property ticket. 

To his own surprise, he had beaten Oto and Naomi to the center only by a minute and they soon walked down the hall to the visitors grounds, which was being help outside for the day and they saw him sitting under a tree, eyes looking up into the sky, almost a dead gaze in his brown orbs. His arm was still in that sling, something Oto really hated looking at, but chose to not address it. He looked lonely and miserable... Kenji felt his heart skip a beat. He truly needed this; He needed to be with his child at this very moment. Weeks of self hating and trying hard to avoid the obvious was not making things easier. His son was hurting, he saw that clear as day. The man inhaled his self doubts for a moment, calling out for him and was filled with sudden joy to see the look of elation on his face, gloom in his his eyes forgotten as he ran to them, jumping into his fathers arms and let out shaking sobs, immediantly crying that he didn't want to be here anymore and that he wanted to go home. 

This hurt them all; nothing would make them more happier than to take the boy home today. Even more so as he cried in his fathers chest, hands gripping his shirt tightly. Kenji and Naomi exchanged knowing glances.

\--

They were smart to leave Oto with his brother outside. The amount of burning rage that formed in both parents was threatening to boil over. 

Over 4 doctors had reported to have forced the boy into his therapy sessions, each time being more hostile and aggressive, even biting one of the nurses and running back to his room, pushing a chair under the knob so they couldn't get in as he cried for his mother and father. 

To add more to the mix, Sono's attitude had not improved since adding a new medicine to his regime, something neither parent knew at all. After reading the side effects of one of the pills (how many pills could they make a child take here?!), Naomi exploded after reading one of the effects being random acts of aggression and violent mood swings, some of which could become permanent and could lead to suicidal thoughts if not monitored. 

Kenji was thrown for a loop; He could only listen as his wife screamed at the doctors for hiding this information from them, threats of a lawsuit coming into the fray. His head was beginning to pound as he forced Naomi to sit back down and at the very least listen to what the doctor had to say. 

It wasn't good. 

Because of the boys violent mood shifts being so sporadic, topped with the increase of his night terrors and panic episodes, Dr Mirotsu suggested extending his stay at the center for further evaluations. That would mean his stay would be for another 2 months. 

Kenji finally exploded as well. 

"That's horseshit! You said no later than a month and a half!"

"I understand, Hanasaki-san and I can appreciate you and your wifes concerns. But I feel strongly that Sono-kun is not ready to leave here yet. There's still more we can try and do for him. He needs more care-"

"You are not pumping my 6 year old son with more medication! You didn't even bother telling us about this new pill you've been giving him! Did you ever stop to think that this is what's causing his aggression?!"

"We have considered that, but it is in fact necessary. Young children and even young teenagers are more prone to these sorts of things when troubled with deep trauma. The only way for Sono to truly help himself is to deal with different outsources. Not to mention his arm...it's healed a little bit, but not enough to grant a pass out of his sling..."

The look Naomi was giving the doctor was the same look Kenji was giving him...a solid match...a look of stupidity. 

"What kind of logic is that?! What happens if my son attempts suicide while he's here, huh?! Then what?!"

"Ma'am, I understand your concern-"

"Do not talk down to my wife or even myself like we don't know! You listen to me now. If anything.....ANYTHING....happens while we're not here and you don't tell us, I will rain hell upon this place. Don't think for a second I will waver just because of a few progressions Sono may have here. I'm done speaking with you...Naomi, c'mon. We still have some time before visiting hours are over."

He walked past the desk to the door, ignoring the doctor but certainly hearing Naomi cry out, 

"You mean to tell me after all this, you're still going to leave him here?! I can't do that, Kenji! I can't leave my baby in a place where I don't know what's happening! I just can't do that! I'm his mother, for gods sake! I should be able to help him!"

It pained him hard to see his wife cry and it hurt even more that it was something he didn't intend to do. He didn't want to leave Sono here after discovering these horrid truths, hell, Sono didn't even want to be here anymore and the pills were probably why. But this was the agreement the courts had when the boy was released after being interviewed. The judge made it clear that he agreed with the doctors choice and that Sono needed to seek treatment. Kenji may be above certain aspects of the law, but not this much. 

He knew that Naomi knew this too. 

They left 2 hours later than visiting hours and Sono broke into a ball in his bed as Oto hugged him, kissed his head and tried to make him feel better. He hated the fact that his baby brother was still stuck here because of a stupid order. He wanted to scream at his father but it would do not good. 

Sono had already done plenty of that, begging to know why Kenji and Naomi were abandoning him here, much to their heart crushing sadness. Naomi hugged her son, telling him that he had to stay to get help, better help than they could give. She hated herself for saying it, mostly because it was true. 

Kenji tried all he could to make Sono understand, but the boy was not having it. He screamed and sobbed, begging to go home, to go back to his life. It was all Kenji could do to not break the law he had to uphold just to take his son out of this place. 

They had to leave eventually; the boy had tired himself out and fell asleep. Oto was in tears as they left to their cars, feeling horrid for being able to do anything else. He wasn't going to be able to focus on school with his baby brother so miserable. He didn't care about passing anymore. It wasn't worth anything if Sono wasn't there to cheer him on. 

Even as they took seperate cars home, Kenji had to pull off to the side of the road, the sounds of his son sobbing deafening his ears...it caused tears to roll down his cheeks, crying into his steering wheel. 

When he had returned home, he found Naomi and Oto on the couch waiting for him so they could talk...Kenji didn't need an explanation. He had a feeling he knew what it was about. 

1 month and a half turned into 2 months and soon, 2 months turned into 4. 

After 4 months, they were finally able to bring Sono home. The amount of kisses and love he received from everyone made the boy smile to them and return all their affections, especially Oto, who wouldn't release his brother to anyone after he had his turn. 

Naomi was quick to start cooking all the boys favorite foods as a welcome home, somber as it was. 

Kenji was elated to having his son home once again, but noticed something that worried him to his core. 

At 6 years old before all this hell had taken place, Sono was bubbly and vibrant, shy but eccentric all at once. He was a happy child and he loved being excited. 

Now, at nearly 7 years of age after leaving the hospital, Sono was not the same. He smiled, but there was little happiness behind his smile. It was a contentedness rather than happiness. He was still excited, but it was a more mellow sort of excitement. He was no longer eccentric....he was just quiet....all the time. 

He still loved to draw and was still eager to practice with his manga training guides, but Kenji could see the fight in Sono was nearly gone. That hospital had messed him up so much more than Chino quite possibly ever could. 

He barley said much of anything unless spoken to or had something interesting to say. At dinner, he would pick at his food, eating small chunks here and there before asking to be excused. 

His school life had also taken a drastic hit; no longer did those kids make fun of him or any variant. His friend Takeo had seen to it that they would leave him alone or suffer some serious beat downs...speaking of which...Takeo seemed to have a very emotional reaction to seeing Sono again after nearly 4 months. 

The moment Kenji dropped him off back to school, he saw Takeo run up to him and hug him, tears in his eyes, so happy to see his friend again...Sono barley returned the hug. 

Something truly did change Sono during his time there and Kenji immediately regretted leaving him there for as long as he did. He hated himself for leaving Sono at that hospital and like before, the same memory stuck hard in his head and the same mantra was layed before him. 

The deed was done and his son had taken the force of it. And once again, all Kenji could do was internally destroy himself for not being able to get his son out when he knew he should have...now it was back to square one. Sono was suffering in a different way. 

Hopefully, this time, he wouldn't have to go through this alone. 

Not again. 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

_You'll grow to love it, they almost always do_

 

_You'll grow to love it, they almost always do_

 

_You'll grow to love it, they almost always do_

 

_You'll grow to love it, they almost always do_

 

Brown eyes weakly opened in the darkness in his bedroom, cold sweat beading from his forehead as he tried to regain his breathing.

As he slowly sat up in bed, his head began to pulse, making him groan and clutch the left side of his temple, shuddering at the force of the dream. Even as he peered over at his alarm clock, he groaned again, seeing it was already 5 am, exactly 30 minutes prior to when he usually woke up for school. It was an ongoing problem with him lately, waking up so much earlier than his actual alarm and it always seemed to drag him down for the rest of the day. Luckily, there were ways around that, but today just seemed like another morning of constant headaches and troubles.

With a heavy sigh, Sono got out of bed, turned off his alarm, and walked to his bathroom, turning on his light, eyes squinting for a moment at the brightness before reaching into his medicine cabinet, pulling out a container of pills, popping two into his mouth and swallowed them dry, exhaling in relief.

A typical morning was just taking two of his anti anxiety medication before separating his other two bits of medicine in a container...just in case he had an episode at school, which wasn't often when he was around Takeo, but when they weren't together, the pills seemed to help a lot.

After separating his medication into a pill container, Sono set it back on the counter before walking over to his large closet, pulling out his uniform and tossing it on his bed and pulled out his school bag, also tossing it on his bed before stripping out of his pajama shirt. If he was already up so early, he may as well get ahead of his own mixed around schedule.

Once he removed his pajama pants, he reached into his dresser drawer, pulling out a pair of black boxers and grimaced at them before tossing them behind him and pulled a blue pair out, slipping them on and grabbed his uniform pants, settling them on his hips and buckled the belt. As he grabbed the white blazer of his uniform shirt, he stopped to look at himself in his mirror, brown eyes saddening at the sight.

Ever since he was discharged from the hospital so long ago, he had gone through some stark changes with his appearance. He let his hair grow past his shoulders, only cutting it when Oto had mentioned he was starting to look like a girl, which in turn caused Sono to panic and nearly chop off his entire mop of blond hair. Thankfully, his mother stopped him and lightly cut the rest, leaving an even layer on his neck, which quickly grew back and soon, his hair fell just above his shoulders and his bangs he just didn't bother with, letting them fall over his eyes.

He was thin...scary thin. He recalled when he was younger, he could eat anything and everything he layed eyes on with a smile, but after all that happened, Sono didn't didn't feel as hungry as he did back then. The hospital had small portions of food that they fed to patients, especially ones with eating disorders, of which he almost developed during puberty, and was used to not eating as much as before. When he stretched, he could see his ribs and see how sunken in his stomach had become. It made him feel disgusted, but didn't think much of it after a while. This was the way things were now. He had to accept that.

With another heavy sigh, he sipped on his blazer, buttoning it up before pulling the uniform coat over his arms, not bothering to button the coat as he staggered over to his desk, pulling his homework from the top drawer and slipped the papers into his folders, walking back to his bed to put them in his bag.

Around this time, he turned his head to see his clock hit 5:30, which perked his ears as he heard his brothers alarm go off down the hall and even heard his fathers alarm go off as well. He chuckled a little. The Hanasaki family was always up bright and early to start their days. It made him think a little of the routine they all had developed over the years.

His mother would always wake up at 5:30, sometimes earlier, and make her way downstairs to cook breakfast for her men, always with a smile on her face. Sometimes, she'd cook different meals for each of them, considering that Sonos body rejected certain foods after a number of years. After Oto and Sono went off to school and Kenji went to work, she'd clean up the large house, go shopping either alone or with friends, then spend the remainder of her day lounging until Sono came home from school at 3. At that point, she'd make an after school treat as he did his homework. She'd then start preparing for dinner at 4, making sure it was ready by 5:30 for when Kenji and Oto came home so they could sit and enjoy some family time. Her day was simple and she loved it. There would be the occasional surprise in her day, say Kenji or Oto stayed late with work or cram school, or Sono would be with Takeo after school, then she'd smile and sit back for a while longer.

Kenjis day was nearly the same as it ever was. Up before the sun and home just as it began to set. Ever since Sono was released from the hospital though, he started taking extra care to be home more when he could, showering his wife and sons with love and affection. He tried hard not to become too affectionate, but with Sono, it was almost like a guessing game with whatever his moods were and he worked around that. Oto was easier; the boy had his own life to lead now, but was always home when he needed to be. Kenjis work days had increased since he returned from his long absense all those years ago, but it kept him busy and motivated. He set a strick out time for himself: 5 pm, every day. That way, he'd be home right at 5:30 to spend time with his family. Of course, it didn't always work that way and he was always quick to let Naomi know ahead of time if he were to stay late. She always understood.

But if anyone aside from him had changed their entire routine, Sono would have to say it was his brother, Oto. The amount of effort that man put into being with his brother was astounding, if not suffocating at times.

Oto had reached his goal of getting into that top high school two months after Sono was released from the hospital, not to mention with the best score in his entire class. He was certainly proving to be a top notch lawyer when he eventually did get into law school. His high school classes took up a good chunk of his time though, making him feel bad when he missed out on his chance to see his baby brother get fitted for his own middle school uniform. Time had just flown by so quickly.

Not just his school life, but his own personal life took up a good portion as well. He and his childhood friend, Miyuki, had spent quite a bit of time together in and out of school. She had come over a few times and got along wonderfully with the family, Sono in particular, as she felt like his art was improving so much that she could see him becoming another Pietro Lorenzetti. He would just smile and nod, knowing that really wasn't what he wanted to do with his life. And she knew that very well; with some of her own allowance, she had found a way to purchase him more training tools to becoming a great manga-ka, much to his surprise and awe.

It wasn't anyone's surprise when Oto eventually asked her out on his last day of his third year in high school. It also didn't surprise anyone that she said yes. She and Oto were just right for each other and both parents already considered her like a daughter at this point in their life. Sono really liked her too, calling her 'Onee-san' anytime she came by.

Otos adult life had taken him to great places, graduating high school at the top of his class, already working his way through university, attending cram school if he felt understudied. He was a genius, but he was still Sonos older brother.

Oto made that very clear. No matter how busy the man became, he would somehow, always have time for his brother. They'd sit in either of their rooms for hours, talking about their days or with Oto helping Sono with homework or personal drama. They became so much closer after the boy came home from the hospital and Sono loved having his brother around so much, even after he graduated and was still willing to stay home just to watch over him when he needed him.

Sono knew that Oto would have to move out at some point and he was slowly preparing himself for that day. But he knew that his brother worked so hard to becoming such a smart man, with a solid job working for their father no less. Not only that, he recalled a night when Oto came into his room with a flushed look on his face and without thinking, he had said,

'I'm thinking of proposing to Miyuki.'

And while that still hadn't happened yet, Sono felt flattered that Oto came to him first...and still hadn't told anyone yet. The boy had jumped into his brothers arms and hugged him, telling him he'd be a great husband. Oto had nearly crushed the boy into a bear hug, kissing his head and promised that he'd still be around for him, no matter what.

He promised that all the time, only starting when the boy had night terrors after coming home from the hospital, Oto crawling into his bed and holding him all through the night, cradling his screaming kid brother to his chest, letting him cry it out.

Hard to believe that was almost 8 years ago already.

A loud knock at his door drove Sono from his thoughts, straightening up and stared at his door, hearing,

"Hey, moms making muffins today. Get downstairs otherwise dad and I are gonna eat them all and you'll have nothing."

Bless Oto and his playful attitude in the mornings. Sono smiled a small smiled before grabbing his bag and opened the door, seeing his brother standing there, all dressed up and looking handsome, yellow hair slicked back and his new glasses pressed against his nose...not to mention a smirk.

"Figured you'd be up already."

"Aren't I always the first one awake here?"

"Maybe. But that's only because you can't sleep all through the night. I swear, you're like a newborn sometimes....c'mon, I smell banana bread, so that makes me think mom found another American muffin recipe."

With that, Oto turned on his heel and walked down the hallway, Sono following behind him with a sad smile. Oto didn't mean to sound as condescending as he did, but it was true. Sono didn't sleep all through the night anymore. He was just....too afraid to. And while sleeping pills did help a bit, Naomi had started hiding them when she felt Sono was becoming too dependent on them.

So sometimes, he had to force his body to sleep during the night, endure the nightmares and hopefully get a decent nights rest. He hadn't really had one in a long time.

Shaking the thought from his head, he walked down stairs to the kitchen and was greeted with the smell of banana muffins, making him smile and take his seat at the table next to his brother, who was enjoying his cup of coffee, the smell wafting over to the young boy. Before he could say anything, a loud sigh echoed through the dining room and soon, Kenji sat down, leaning his head back and rubbed his eyes. Oto chuckled at him.

"I take it you're not ready for today's meeting with the officials from Tokyo?"

Kenji scoffed and threw a piece of napkin at him, a smirk on his face.

"You would know. You've sat with me and gone through all the important documents, giving your own opinions here and there. Sometimes, I feel like you already work for me."

"One day, dad. And sooner still, I'll be taking over for you-"

"Don't get cocky. I'm not that old, you twit."

Oto laughed and reached over to grab a muffin when Naomi set the platter down. She scoffed at her husband and oldest, saying,

"Honestly, you two working together is going to be terrifying. When Oto gets out of university, it'll be like having two Kenjis or dear god, two Otos in my house. Sono, thank you for wanting to get into the field of illustration. I can't imagine three business men living here."

Sono chuckled and looked up at his mother through his bangs, saying,

"Well, who knows? Maybe I'll flop as a manga-ka and if so, maybe dad can give me a part time job with him to learn the ropes of the company and-"

He stopped when her fist very gently settled on his head, making him laugh and her scowl at him, saying,

"Do not make jokes."

Kenji laughed with him, taking small bites of his muffin and watched as the boy reached over to grab a muffin for himself, seeing a smile on his face, something he very rarely saw nowadays.

While 8 years had passed since they were able to take him home, he was afraid that his baby boy had gone through drastic changes...and for a while, his fears were true. Sono just wasn't the same anymore and to a degree, he still isn't. He wouldn't smile as much anymore, wouldn't eat or talk often and sometimes, if Kenji was still awake and in his home office, he could hear Sono whimper in his sleep, crying and pleading before he'd hear him get out of bed to take his pills before attempting to settle down.

It was hard and Kenji still felt horrible for not taking him out when he got the chance to. He felt like deep down, Sono felt as thought his family abandoned him in that hospital and didn't care enough to pull him out until they felt it was time.

He'd never forgive himself for that.

Before he could say anything, a knock at the front door startled him and that was when Sono jumped from his seat, grabbed his bag and another muffin, saying,

"That's Takeo. We're heading in early to catch up on an art project we forgot to finish. I'm taking him a muffin, if that's ok."

Naomi stared hard at him for a moment, hand on her hip, saying,

"Forgot to finish or just didn't want to finish?"

"I swear mom, we left it at school, but they're letting us go in early to get it done....can I bring him this muffin?"

"Oh god, just go. Haha, have a good day sweetie."

She was quick to glide over and give her son a kiss on the cheek, making him blush a little. He made him way around the table, giving his brother a hug and Oto patted his arm, wishing him a good day.

When he got to Kenji, the man stood and wrapped his arms around the boys head, kissing his hair and patted his back, sending him off. He listened as Sono opened the door to greet Takeo for a moment as he slipped his shoes on, hearing the other boy laugh a little as they left.

Kenji sat back down, taking a peek behind him out the window, watching the two boys walk down the pavement, seeing how Takeos arm wrapped around Sonos shoulders. It shouldn't have irritated him, but it did. His fist clenched a little, but relaxed as he forced those thoughts out of his mind.

Takeo was Sonos best friend. Chino was far away, rotting in some prison. The two were in no way connected. He knew very well that Takeo wouldn't hurt the boy. Hell, Sono had told him that if anything, Takeo was beating back bullies or anyone else who looked at him wrong, which was comforting. Takeo seemed like a smart boy anyways.

Though, he didn't know the extent of Sonos long absence 8 years ago, and hopefully, if Sono was smart, he'd never know. Kenji wouldn't dream of putting his child back through those thoughts, the vivid memories. He doubted Takeo would even come close to understanding anyway.

With that thought in mind, Kenji reached for another muffin, trying hard not to worry about his youngest sons day. He was with Takeo all the time.

He'd be fine.

 

\--

 

Not even 11 am and already, Sono was ready to crawl back into bed. With the combined stress of his possibly failed math test and the fact that his and Takeos art project only scored a 74 out of 100 due to them coming in early, which was usually not allowed, his head was riddled with anxiety.

With a sigh, he pulled his English work book from his locker, setting it in his bag and pulled out his pill container, debating if he should take them now or if this was just a passing need.

He was never sure about these things, always being so impulsive about it and downing them when he got the chance to.

But hearing footsteps behind him made him jump and throw them back into his bag, almost afraid someone would see them and spread rumors that he was a junkie...why that thought crossed his mind, he had no idea.

When he turned around, he saw Takeo walking towards him with a look that just screamed frustration. Sure enough, the teen leaned against the lockers as Sono shut his, brown eyes narrowing a little.

"Bad start?"

Takeo let out an exaggerated sigh, saying,

"Well, yeah...That art project thing really messed with my morning and I think it spilled into my performance at gym. I sucked hard, let's leave it at that."

Sono chuckled a little, earning a confused look from the ebony haired teen, prompting,

"You must've been in a bad mood if you actually went to gym class. Ordinarily, you'd skip out and live to tell about it."

"Yeah and have my dad rip me a new one to boot. I don't get how you do it, rich boy. You could fail out of any class and your dad just looks the other way. Mine just yells at me and makes me do more chores just so I don't get grounded. What's your secret?"

"Look, it's not that my dad looks the other way...it's just...well...he's usually so focused on his own work and with Oto in university now, dad wants to spend that time getting him ready to join the company. And he does get after me about failing grades, just not as much. He knows I'm trying. He doesn't expect me to be as smart as Oto was at 15."

The blond turned again to rest his back against his lockers, leaning his head against the cool metal, feeling it chill the back of his burning head.

"Besides, if you really want one of my parents to get after me about failing, you should talk to my mother. My dad may be the high end kind of guy everyone sees and he might be powerful and all mighty at work, but at home, it's mom who runs the place. I came home with a 79/100 score on a test and she about murdered my eardrums with her lecturing. All dad could do was watch and laugh at me."

Takeo chuckled at that, stretching and resting his hands behind his head, saying with a large smile on his face,

"Man, I'm so happy I'm an only child, but after listening to how you and Oto were raised, I'm jealous. Having a sibling to set the bar either so low or so high and how parents just take it in stride. Haha. And I actually thought your dad would be the one to have that insane temper I hear so much abo-"

Sono jerked his head towards him, a glare in his eyes, saying,

"Don't even joke about that. You don't know what that's like. Seeing my dad hit that level of anger...it's really intense, even when you know it's not coming at you but at someones else...I don't ever want to think about if my dad was that angry with me...it's terrifying sometimes..."

Sono drifted off, shaking a little, holding his bag to his chest, almost now regretting not taking his medication when he got the chance. But he felt a shift in Takeo's stance; he stood closer to him and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, bringing him closer, resting his chin against blond locks.

The blond froze for a moment, but relaxed in Takeos embrace, feeling his heart beat settle down a bit. For a moment, Sono felt his eyes close, resting against the teens chest, hearing his soft voice say,

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to joke about those things. I know that things have been hard on you since you...well....you were in and out of hospitals a lot when we were kids. I didn't know how to deal with that. I mean, I had just met you, you became my best friend and then all of a sudden, you vanish..."

Sonos eyes opened as he looked up at his friend, seeing a sullen look in his blue eyes. Those same eyes looked down at him and he continued.

"I don't mean to sound like an ass or like I'm always kidding around. It's just how I had to deal with things when you were gone. You vanished so suddenly and I didn't know what to do. I thought I had said or done something to make you hate me and you transferred schools. I begged my dad to let me go see you, but he was always like, 'Ohhhh no you don't. You don't need to get involved with them right now. Rich people problems aren't like us normal people's problems'...you know how he is."

The blond chuckled at that, recalling the time he fell into the frozen lake while playing with Takeo and how his dad scolded him for it, calling him spoiled and not knowing about these dangers because of his father. Sono never really took that to heart, especially as he grew up. Takeos father was just set in his ways.

"But I waited...I waited for a long time for you to come back to school. I waited under that tree you always sat under. Heh, the other kids would give me hell for it. Making fun of me and called me a loser for being friends with you...I'm not really happy to say that I wasn't exactly civil towards them after that, but just hearing them call you names really hurt me. You're my friend and I wasn't going to let them bad mouth you like that. I really care about you. You're the only person I felt any kind of connection to and I was so happy when we became friends...then you suddenly disappeared. And I felt terrible. I knew you were sick and I tried to visit you...then...you just stopped calling."

Sono backed away for a moment to really look into his friends eyes, seeing the level of hurt and care all at once. It touched his heart a bit; he didn't realize how much Takeo truly valued their friendship and deep down, Sono knew he treasured it.

"And so when your dad called us after not seeing you for a while, I was scared. All he told us was you had to go to the hospital for a while. Didn't bother telling me which one, why you were there...he just said you were sick...and to be honest...I've never gotten over that. I was angry at your dad for not telling me anything...I still am...I felt as though he treated me like a dog just because-"

Takeo was stopped suddenly when he felt the blond hug him so tightly, he dropped his bag onto the floor, shocked when he felt Sonos hands dig into his jacket from behind. It was so sudden and Takeo found his arms moving on their own, wrapping around the teens shoulders, hugging him back and running his fingers through his hair. It truly did scare him back then when his only friend up and vanished. Even when he returned to school, Takeo could see something in his friend had changed.

He wasn't the same kid anymore. He didn't have sort of energy in him anymore. And as they grew up together, it showed more and more how little energy Sono really had. He hadn't lied when he said how much he cared for the boy. It was almost scary how much he cared. The amount of kids he had beaten up for bad mouthing the blond...Sono didn't know about that, nor should he have to.

Finally, after a while, Sono pulled back with a smile and said,

"I'm...heh, I'm sorry. You were making me feel so embarrassed with your words...but they touched my heart, Takeo. I didn't know you cared about me that much...I...I guess I could say the same for you. You really are my best friend and I'm happy you stuck with me all these years."

"Hey, how else am I going to get such awesome drawings from cool movies? I'm not gonna try, nope. I suck at drawing. Haha."

Sono punched his chest and backed away, wiping his eyes and couldn't hold back a chuckle, even as Takeo calmed himself down and rubbed where his heart was, saying,

"But I'm serious. I wanted to be the first person to greet you when you came back. I just wasn't expecting you to be so...well...I guess emotionless."

"I know...a lot of stuff happened back then, Takeo...and one day, I'll talk to you about it. I'm just not ready."

"I understand...just know I care man, and I'm here for you."

The teen smiled at him before nodding and reached down to pick up his bag, while Takeo stretched again and said,

"Ok, enough of the sappy shit. I think we have what...a history test today too?"

"I don't, but I know you do this afternoon. I think all I have left is an english exam. Then it's just smooth sailing all day."

"I cannot wait for the end of the semester. One more to go and we'll be on our way to high school!"

"That's if we pass the entrance exams. And I certainly don't plan on going to that fancy school Oto went to. The stress he went through? God, I'd rather eat dead rat."

Takeo laughed at that and patted his friends back, while Sono chuckled a little at his friends reaction. Ahh he really did miss Takeo most of all out of anything else. They laughed with each other for a little longer than they had wanted, as soon, they heard,

"Mizuno! Hanasaki! What are you two doing out of class? Did you not hear the bell?"

The prefect appeared from the corner and both boys looked at him in horror. In the midst of their emotional talk, the must've not heard the bell go off and when Takeo looked at his watch, it showed they were nearly 10 minutes late to their respective classes. Without another word, Sono took off down the hallway while Takeo ran the other direction, swearing off at the prefect as he passed, ignoring how the man screamed back at him.

 

\--

 

It was later in the afternoon when both boys walked through downtown, Takeo eyeballing the shops while Sono carefully read his manga, brown eyes scanning page to page, keeping a mental tab of each and every line and character design.

It had been a slow day, what with end of the semester testing and all; Takeo had suggested they walk through the newer downtown hot spots, seeing if anything caught their attention. Or rather, whatever caught Takeos eye since Sonos were so clearly buried in his book.

After leaving what was thought to be a delicious cafe, Takeo was sort of bummed out when it turned out to be a flop. Looking over at his friend, he scowled a little when he saw the blond casually turn the page with his thumb, provoking the teen to snatch it out of his hands, much to the blonds surprise.

Surprise turned to agitation as he snapped his head towards his friend, voice laced with a tinge of irritation,

"Takeo! I was reading that!"

"No, you were observing it, there's a difference. C'mon, Sono, I asked you out with me so we could see the new businesses opening up around here. You work too hard as it is with this anyway."

The look on Sonos face said otherwise and Takeo sighed, raising his hands in defeat and said,

"Ok ok, you win. But what I think you need is some sweets. Like...chocolate or something. You always said you're a sucker for chocolate. Let's see what's around."

Takeo ran ahead a few paces to scan the area, all while Sono caught up to him and snatched the manga from his friend and set it in his bag, looking around with him and stopped when he noticed something interesting.

"Hey, Takeo. It looks like someones moving into that open shop over there. Let's go check it out."

"Moving into the shop? Like the apartment above it? That seems kinda...cheap, doesn't it?"

"So what? That used to be an old candy shop my brother and I used to go to. Maybe the new owners have something different to add. So let's check it out."

Takeo said nothing, but allowed his friend to drag him across the street to the moving truck, sneaking peeks inside the empty building that was rapidly filling up with boxes and large equipment. Sonos eyes widened as he said,

"I can't believe this place closed down. Heh, I remember Oto would steal candy for me from here all the time. It's like a piece of my childhood is gone forever.....is that a convection oven? Like the ones the girls talk about in home ec? Must be a restaurant or something."

"Oh, it's definitely something."

The deep voice caused both Takeo and Sono to jump in their shoes, turning around to see a smiling man behind them, a box in his hand. Takeo was quick to help the man put the box down and he smiled bigger, wiping his forehead and said,

"Thanks for that, young man. You never know what kind of muscles you have until you actually try to carry something heavy. Haha...I see you boys are peeping in my upcoming accomplishment."

The boys blushed, but Sono shook his away and stepped up to bow to the man, Takeo following after and when they straightened, the blond said,

"Yes sir. Sorry If we're intruding. This building's been empty for a while and it used to be my favorite candy store...I was just curious to see what was coming in."

"Ah, no apologies needed. Yeah, the original owner looked like he was close to the brink and I've worked in food service for a while now. Figured I'd move my business to a bigger city. Fukushima is pretty beautiful, I won't lie. I'm actually excited to get started."

"Where'd you move from, if you don't mind the question."

"Ah, my son and I are moving from Kyoto. I figured it'd be best since me and his mother are divorcing and he's always so interested in my old line of work. Haha. I used to be a film troubleshooter and I'd travel from Japan to America in my youth after dropping out of high school...certainly don't recommend that. But man, do I love movies. That's what Naoki wants to do when he gets older. He's always been so into my old line of work and always asks about movies in America. Such a curious kid he was. Kinda shocked him to shit when I opened cafes all over Kyoto and such. But yeah. He wants to work with movies. Not sure what specific job, haha, but that's what he wants."

The man stopped for a moment and laughed when he saw the bewildered looks on the teens faces. Takeo looked a little confused by the mans eccentric speaking, but Sono found himself immersed by it.

"I'm sorry, boys. Didn't mean to unload like that. I'm such an open person, I swear. Probably one of the reasons the old bitch is leaving me...oh there I go again. Haha, I never know when to shut up. My names Nazawa. Huri Nazawa."

He bowed to the two teens, to which they smiled and nodded.

"Mizuno Takeo. Pleasure to meet you."

"Hanasaki Sono. Happy to have you."

"Ahh, you boys are sweet. I think I'm gonna like it here. I've only been to Fukushima once and I loved it ever since. Hadn't been back in so long though...say...you boys are what, in middle school?"

When they nodded, Huri smiled again and said,

"I thought so. When Naoki eventually flies down here, I'm gonna get him registered at the high school. He's already gone through middle school and he's taken a bit of time off to help me get settled. So hopefully, when it works out, you three will start school together....well...depending which high school. I'm thinking of having him apply to that private high school up north. I think he'd like it up there....oh no, not that fancy ass one, get that look off your faces. Haha, I did my homework before I moved. Is that the one you two are shooting for?"

Takeo wanted to shake his head, but seeing Sono nod suddenly threw him off for a second. He didn't know the blond was shooting for that private secondary school in North Fuku, but if that's where Sono wanted to go, he knew Kenji was going to make it happen regardless of his grades. So Takeo would have to study extra hard just to even attempt to make it in.

Huri seemed pleased and said,

"Awesome. I think Naoki will like the two of you. I'll have to call him later and see when he's flying in. Probably won't be for a while though. His mother is keeping him in Kyoto to help her settle too. Poor kids just caught in a tug of war."

With a heavy breath, Huri reached down and picked up the box and said,

"Well, I better get the rest of this junk inside and help the movers before they break my expensive ovens. Hope you boys stop by when this place is open. I'm shooting for June 3rd. Gives me plenty of time since it's only January. Nice meeting you."

The teens waved as Huri mentioned for the other movers to follow him inside while the boys watched a few more moments. Takeo shrugged and turned to walk the other way, Sono following him a bit slower than he'd thought. And from there, it was quiet between the two of them.

Only until they reached the bridge at the Urimatsu canal that Takeo said,

"Why didn't you tell me you were shooting for the private high school? What happened to not following your brothers footsteps?"

The question did take Sono by surprise, though, he wasn't surprised by the tone in Takeos' voice. He had every right to be a little curious, but the hurt tone caught more than just his curiosity.

"I...I talked to my dad and he was really pushing me to go to the admissions for the private secondary when my first semester scores came in. He said that my scores were great, but he knew they could be better and suggested it. We toured the place and I found that I really liked it. It's no where near the level of education Oto got with the secondary he went to, but this school has much more to offer as far as art goes. And they have a manga training class all 3 years. You know how much that means to me, Takeo. My dream is to be a great manga-ka and this could be my chance to actually learn from someone and not just teach myself. And if I get in and you don't, I can talk to my dad and he can pull some strings to get you in too if you want."

Sono had gripped Takeos hand during his explanation, only for Takeo to pull away in a huff, grumbling,

"I don't want your dads money to get my own advancement. You shouldn't depend on that either. You should try to excel on your own and not have daddy bail you out when you get caught somewhere."

"Excuse me? How can you say that? You know I don't depend on my dad for everything and I certainly don't depend on him for this. I'm just saying. I want us to go to the same high school, Takeo. You know what I'm like around people I don't know....you know what my anxiety can do when you're not around..."

Takeo froze at that, seeing how those brown orbs averted from his gaze. He knew what the blond was talking about, almost exactly. If Takeo wasn't around, Sono would most likely go into a state of fearful anxiety, shutting people out and have a panic attack if not careful.

Takeo made it clear to Sono that he'd protect him from things like that and so far, he felt like he was doing a good job. The idea of the two of them separating to different secondary schools made Takeos blood boil and he pulled the boy into a hug, a quick one, and said,

"You're right....you're right, I should have thought about this...Ok. I'll apply to the private secondary once it comes time for it. I'll make sure you're not alone, ok? I promise."

The blond smiled and nodded in the teens chest, feeling him rub his back and sigh into his hair. It was a comforting moment between the two of them, alone on the bridge like this. Takeo felt like he wanted to solidify this moment. But at the sound of his friends phone chirping at him, Sono knew that his free time was up. He smiled and said,

"Sorry, that's Oto. He must've not gone to cram school today...I'm uh...I'm going to head home from here. I know your house is closer but I want to clear my head for a bit."

"Are you sure you can get by alone?"

"I'm sure. It's only 15 minutes. I'll be ok. I'll call you later, ok?"

"...Yeah. Ok, that's fine. Be safe getting home."

Sono smiled and lightly punched Takeos chest, only to stop when the teens hand came up to grip his, his pale thumb lightly rubbing his palm. It was a comforting gesture, so much so that Sono felt overwhelmed by it. A pink flush fell over his cheeks and he smiled, reaching up to poke Takeos nose before turning and walking the other direction.

Takeo sighed and turned to walk home, looking at his own hand, wondering why he made such a strange gesture to his friend. It wasn't unusual that they were so touchy...

Sono was such a shy kid, always had been. And over the years, he became frightful and anxious, making it Takeos personal duty to protect him...but the way he touched him just now...that gentle caress...he could still feel it in his fingertips.

Bringing his fingers to his lips, he closed his eyes and pictured the moment they shared just then, seeing how his friends brown eyes lite up when he lightly touched his hand. It wasn't a secret that they were so close as friends, but now, Takeo felt confused.

When his eyes opened, he weighed his options and decided to think about it later. With a heavy sigh, he made his way home, trying hard not to think of his best friend and focus on the verbal beat down he was going to get for nearly failing his history exam.

 

\--

 

When Sono announced at dinner that he was 100% shooting for the private secondary school, Kenji was elated. Naomi was overjoyed and Oto was surprised, especially when he had been asked to help Sono study for the entrance exam in the next few months. He had orignally thought Sono was going to stick it out through a typical public high school, but when he mentioned all the art classes and manga training he'd get to do, it made sense and Oto said he'd be happy to help him study.

So, later that night, they sat in Sonos room on his bed, going over the same work sheets Oto had when he studied for the high school entrance exams. Just looking at all the words and numbers made Sonos head hurt, but he was willing to stick it out.

"Now, keep in mind that your entrance exam isn't going to be as difficult as mine was. I went to a private secondary too, but your school is nothing compared to mine. Just saying. Though it won't hurt to get your brain ready for the hard questions they'll be asking. Are you ready?"

Sono nodded furiously, his long hair waving in his eyes and Oto chuckled, reaching over to brush his brothers bangs back, studying him for a moment.

"I'm kinda surprised you went with a private school. I mean, I know dad took you to tour the place what....a month or so ago? Didn't think it'd stuck with you."

"It was the art courses, Oto. And the manga training. Did you know that they have retired manga-ka teaching the classes? That's amazing! I'll be learning from the best! Their techniques, their styles, everything."

"Speaking of which, have you decided what genre you'd like to draw? I mean, you never really had a set idea when you first started drawing. It was just a bunch of beautiful randoms."

"I don't know...I'd like to see where my strengths are, honestly. I've drawn romantic scenes from movies before, but I don't know if that's all me. But don't you think this is a great step forward? Learning from the minds of great manga creators?"

"I'm just excited that you're excited. Haha, I haven't seen you this happy since you were 6 and you discovered what echii was...though mom was not pleased. Hey, you were really good at drawing like, rated Y harem scenes. Mostly the kissing and such. You should try your hand at more explicit scenery."

Oto smiled as those brown eyes gleamed at him, but narrowed as he asked,

"Really? You'd be ok with your brother being a smut illustrator?"

"Oh shut up, you know that's not what I meant. But there is a big market for like...and I can't believe I'm saying this...M rated works. It's always in high demand. But don't take my word for it. It's just an idea."

Even through his confusion, Sono let out a smirk as he said,

"Do I need to tell Miyuki you've been hiding some hentai from her? Otherwise, you wouldn't have brought his up."

The teen laughed loudly at the look of shock horror on Oto's face before being smacked with a stack of papers. Adjusting his glasses, Oto scoffed and said,

"Keep it up, brat. Or you'll be on your own for studying."

Sono eventually calmed himself down enough to settled back against the pillows, a smile on his face which quickly softened when he heard his phone beep at him. When he reached over to grab it, he was mildly surprised to see a text from Takeo, asking,

_'Are you busy?'_

Sono typed back that he wasn't really, just messing around with his brother. The response was instant as Takeo replied,

_'Ok...just curious..was thinking about you and got nervous. Don't know why. Ha. I'm weird. Anyway, see you tomorrow, rich boy.'_

Oto noticed his brothers brow quirk a little as he set his phone back down and he tilted his head, gathering papers as he asked,

"Something wrong?"

"Hm? No, not really. It's Takeo. Lately he's been acting kinda...what's the word...mother hen like."

When Oto gave him a look that said 'elaborate', Sono continued.

"I don't know. He's been so touchy lately and so...in the need to know about what I'm doing. I mean, I like it and all. He's my best friend and I care about him...and he cares about me...but it just seems like there's more to it and I'm confused as to what it is."

"More to it?"

"Yeah...kinda like how you were when you started dating Miyuki. You were always so worried about her and kept asking if she was ok and such and she'd call to yell at you in Italian. Takeo's kinda acting like that. Like...today...we were at Urimatsu and when you texted me, he kinda...lingered. And I liked it. It made me feel comfortable and safe and-"

Sono stopped talking when he noticed Otos eyes get wide almost in seconds. It was like he was shocked at what he had just heard, which made sense when his next question was,

"Sono...are you trying to tell me something?"

"What? No. I'm just asking if you know what it could mean. Why, is there something I should be telling you?"

Oto opened his mouth...then closed it, pressing his hand against it, opting not to jump to conclusions. That was the last thing he needed to do at this point. Especially when Sono just dropped this strange topic on his lap.

"I um...I guess that's something you and Takeo need to talk about. I mean, you two have been friends for a long time. Almost a decade. Maybe....maybe he's one of those people that...you know...isn't into...girls."

"Huh...I guess that makes sense. I mean, I've never seen Takeo with a girlfriend before. He's always been around me for 8 years. I feel bad. I never wanted him to just ignore everyone else, but I can't help the feeling of anxiety when he's not around. No one else besides you, mom and dad make me feel the same level of safety like Takeo does."

In all the years Oto had tried to teach his kid brother about life, limited as it was due to his own experiences, he was shocked to see that Sono was so oblivious to his thoughts. How could he not see it?

"No I mean...Sono...do you think...that....the reason Takeo hasn't had a girlfriend is because....well...he likes you?"

"Likes me? Of course he likes me. We're friends, aren't we?"

"You're not getting it...you said he was being super touchy with you lately. Had been for a few days of sorts? How it was similar when Miyuki and I started dating? Compare the two and think about it."

No amount of explaining could even compare to the look of confusion written on Sonos face. His eyes squinted hard at his brother, trying to put two and two together, running his fingers through his hair.

The suddenly, like a delayed reaction, it clicked and Sonos eyes shot up to Oto, wide and nearly appalled.

"You think that....oh god, Haha. Oto, that's stupid. Takeo isn't into guys, I know he isn't. He's such a flirt with the girls yes, but to me? God no. And besides, I would've know....he would have told me."

"Sometimes, when you realize you're attracted to someone you've known for so long, it hits you suddenly and you feel confused and afraid. And it doesn't even have to be with someone you've known for a long time. It could be someone totally new in your life. But that's besides the point. Takeo might be realizing he has feelings for you and it's freaking him out a bit...what about you? What do you think about your best friend having feelings for you?"

"But there's no way! Takeo wouldn't hide something like that from me...would he?"

"It's hard to tell. But it's something to talk about. If he feels for you, but you don't feel the same, you need to let him down easy. Just follow your instincts, Sono. It'll be alright."

Seeing his brothers confusion only made Oto a little more concerned for this conversation, but Sono was 15. This was something he needed to deal with, especially if Takeo was involved.

Taking this time to stand up, he gathered his papers and said,

"'I'll leave you to collect on this. Just think about it. Part of growing up is dealing with such...unsettling situations. If you chose to go through with something, stick it out. If not, well then, I'll be here if you need to talk."

With that, Oto walked out of his brothers room, leaving Sono on his bed, knees to his chest, eyes wide and utterly lost. Pressing his hand against his head, he thought about Takeo and how he felt...how he could be feeling.

It was almost terrifying to think Takeo was attracted to him. How could he be? Sono was messed up in every sense of the word. He was raped...he was hospitalized because of the trauma and hell his brain went through afterwards.

But then, Takeo didn't know this....and he never would. Sono would swear up and down he'd never tell Takeo about that horrible experience. He'd spare him that pain.

He started shivering, gripping his arms as horrible thoughts crossed his mind. Takeo was his friend. His best friend. There was no way he could be attracted to him...it wasn't right. They were both boys too...how would it work?

In a dash, Sono bolted from his bed to his bathroom, gripping his pills and downing two of them, feeling a panic attack settling in and he leaned against his counter, eyes gleaming with doubt.

If Takeo truly was attracted to him, how would he approach the situation? Sono was never good at talking to people about certain things....not to mention, he's never dealt with an admirer before.

This was getting him no where. Oto was right. He had to talk to Takeo about this and soon. If he didn't get an answer soon, he'd only be putting himself in an even bigger panic.

After leaving his bathroom and grabbed his phone, he opened it and stopped to look at his cover picture.

It was of him and Takeo when they received their middle school uniforms....they looked so happy....he rubbed his thumb over his phone for a moments, considering his options. Could he really just accuse his friend of...what would the accusation even be? For just a thought of attraction? Sono couldn't do that. It would break his heart and Takeo would hate him...

No...no they'd talk about this later...if the moment called for it...no sense worrying about it now.

Setting his phone down, Sono set his hand on his chest, feeling his heart calm down quite a bit before sitting back in bed, running his brothers words through his head.

Takeo liked him? Was that true? And if so, how did Sono feel about it? Was he angry? Disgusted?

He felt the opposite. Takeo made him feel safe...happy. Like he mattered to someone other than his family. He never really felt attraction to anyone else before...and the only experience he had with something like this was Chino...sort of.

Sono sighed and leaned back against his bed, staring at his ceiling. Maybe it wasn't a bad thing he felt so confused. Takeo was someone he cared about deeply....maybe he himself was confused about his own feelings.

Regardless, all this thinking as hurting his head and decided now was a good time to turn in. Once he turned off his lights and curled himself in his comforter, he shut his eyes and willed himself to sleep, trying to force his brain to not think of Chino...not to think of the hospital...to instead focus n things he loved.

Like..anime...he enjoyed a good anime every now and again...his drawing. He'd be so excited to start at the private secondary, jumping into those classes and learning from the best.

He smiled as he went to sleep finally, thinking of all the things he could look forward to.

 

But the thing that made him smile more as he slept was the face he saw just before his dreams took him away.

It was Takeo...and he was handsome....and Sono found himself enjoying the image in his dreams...a bit more than he thought he would.

 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pretty light hearted chapter this time around. Feeling great about how this revamp is coming out. 
> 
> Also, I'm hoping you all enjoy this story. It's taking more time than I'd ever thought considering all the rewrites and such. But hopefully, you'll enjoy the final product. Back stories are a pain to write..*slips on sunglasses*..kind of like my pain in the back from working long hours on writing this story. 
> 
> *YEAAAH*
> 
> I'll see myself out.
> 
> Enjoy.

Students piled in quickly as the first bell rang for the day, sitting in their seats and pulling out their books, some eager to start their day and some just wanting to sit it out like normal, most of the students already falling asleep at their desks.

The day hadn't even really started and many of them were just eager to get through the next few days, what with final exams on the horizon and the high school entrance tests nearly ready for taking. Most of their class time was now dedicated to getting them all ready for the end of their primary school lives.

That was the thought process for many of the students, Sono being sadly included. While he did look forward to testing for the private secondary like he had been wanting for a while, school these days were just enough to put him back to sleep. That said a lot considering he wasn't sleeping well at home. Late nights studying was one reason for it, but the majority of his nights were spent laying awake in his bed, eyes staring at the ceiling and his hands bundled in his shirt, trying to shake the images of his nightmares away.

The last few days were rough; he had been going through spells of constant replays of that night when he was 6, trying hard to push the memory away as he tried to get though whatever he was he tried to do. For example...him sitting at the kitchen table, practicing in one of his manga training guides, nearly coming close to making a perfect story flow.

As he sketched in the last bit of his main characters stance before writing down his ending monolouge, Sonos hand had frozen in place, his skin feeling clammy and cold sweat beading from his head. His brown eyes widened to their limits and his vision would get dark, becoming a tunnel as all he could see was Chino crawling into his bed, silencing him with his mouth and forcing his small body to open for him.

His pencil had snapped in his tight grip, cutting into his palm and caused him to bleed, but he barely noticed in his near hypnotized state. He squeezed his hands tighter, the broken wood digging further into his hand. The core of his body began to tremble and he let out small gasps of air, as if he was suffocating.

Sono was extremely lucky his father was in the kitchen at the time of this sudden attack. The second Kenji heard a loud yet quick gasp of air coming from the dining room, he instantly knew what was happened and acted quick.

Grabbing an inhaler from Naomi's emergancy drawer near the back closet, he ran out to the dining room, pulled his son from the table and set him on the couch in the lounge, placing the inhaler in his sons mouth and told him to breath, pressing on the trigger to release the medicine into the boys lungs.

It seemed silly in hindsight for Kenji to have an inhaler in his house; neither of his sons had asthma of any kind, nor did Naomi or himself. But after Sono was released from the hospital after a strong fit when he was 13, one in which where he almost lost the ability to breath properly, the doctors recommended they have one handy as it could help him in the event of him losing air with having an episode...which were becoming more frequent after he became a teenager.

Kenji patted his sons stomach through his shirt, hearing how his breathing had started to settle and soon set the inhaler down on the coffee table, moving his hand from his stomach to his back, rubbing between his shoulders, asking if he was alright.

Sono had said nothing, letting out a long exhale as he nodded and removed himself from his fathers hold, mumbling his thanks and went back to the table to finish his work, leaving his father confused at his sudden coldness.

That was only yesterday, which was the most surprising as it felt like weeks ago. Sono was still trying to push himself through these sudden fits, trying to figure out why they were becoming so frequent. It wasn't as if anything was triggering them, as far as he was aware. They would just come out of no where, even if he was just sitting on the couch with his family or god forbid, by himself. He had been fortunate enough to not deal with a strong one alone and he certainly didn't want to. The pills in his bag helped with that in the off chance he actually was alone.

Which reminded him suddenly to take one of those pills before his art class....just in case.

The bell rang once again and soon, the teacher walked into the classroom, prompting the class head to stand and announce the class, who all stood quickly, bowing and saying good morning to the teacher as she bowed back, saying good morning. Soon after, they all sat back down and the teacher began making morning announcements, most of them being upcoming exams for high school and so on.

Sono sighed and tapped his notepad with his pen, staring at his bandaged left hand and cringed to himself, trying not to think about his last episode and focus on his school work. Granted, that was equally as hard when he thought about how Takeo reacted to seeing his hand this morning.

The blond explained that he had a small panicky fit and accidentally stabbed his hand with his pencil. He neglected to explain his lack of breath and the reasoning behind his attack. But Takeo seemed more concerned about his friends wound then any reason why he had it.

When he looked at his friends hand, his blue eyes flared for a moment before taking him to the infirmary, getting it re-bandaged and medicated. Sono tried to explain that his father had already taken care of it, but Takeo was having none of it. He just continued to prattle on about how Sono should have called him immediately after so they could talk it over. The blond calmed him down quickly, saying it wasn't as bad as he was making it sound, only to stop Takeo from being so overly protective.

Sono groaned to himself and set his head on his desk. It was only 8:45 in the morning and already he just wanted to crawl into bed and ignore everyone for the rest of the day. His phone was in his bag...maybe he could sweet talk his mother into picking him up after lunch. Oh but then Takeo would have a fit about it, how he left school without saying anything. If it wasn't one thing, it was another.

The morning classes went smoothly as they could; the teacher started off their day with math, making it easier on the brain for most students during the day. After their usual math tests, it was time for Japanese literature, something every student in Sonos class almost always fell asleep to, him included.

The remainder of the morning was a blur up until the bell rang for their lunch period. Some students were quick to up and leave the classroom the second the bell went off so they could eat with their friends in the other classes. With the class nearly empty, save for some girls who sat in groups, Sono got up and grabbed his bag, making his way through the room to make the trek to his and Takeo's usual lunch spot, being behind the back lockers near the art room like always.

During his walk, he ignored the usual chatter among the other students, ignoring how loud they could be which didn't help his aching headache.

As he passed by the main hallway, he stopped as he peered outside, seeing how pretty it was despite the chill. The sun was shining and he gave a soft smile, debating on asking Takeo if they could start eating lunch on the roof of the school...he decided against that. Takeo was more than likely quick to say no.

"Oi! Hanasaki!"

The way his name was called drove Sono from this thoughts, not by much though, as he turned to the source, seeing it was one of the students from his art classes, someone he wasn't quite thrilled to see.

Shizuka Mori, one of the few students of this school that was...less than prepared for the upcoming high school entrance exams and was not all that afraid to show off his negligence on the matter. With him were two other students, Hanabi Mira and Minora Ami, two popular girls who Sono had very clear memories of when he was younger and fresh out of Chiba. And as he recalled, they didn't like him much for rather unclear reasons. Perhaps because he came from wealth or because he was frail, shy and didn't talk much, he didn't know.

But he certainly didn't like the fact they were addressing him. Especially not with Mori smirking at him the way that he was.

He sauntered over to him, nearly towering over him and asked,

"Not everyday I find you without your petty body guard. Why's that? Did he get tired of watching over your weak self?"

The blond said nothing, brown eyes shifting around to try and make an escape around the sea of students in the hallway. But he couldn't help the way he winced to himself as he heard Ami step up, saying with venom,

"Oh c'mon on, don't be mean, Mori-kun. He's probably just frizzed out with all the medicine he has to take for....what was it again? Being such an introverted freak? I'm honestly surprised you're out in public. What with how many pills you probably have to take in a day."

That was such a blow. It was no secret to anyone he went to primary school with that he was hospitalized for a long period of time, though not a soul knew why. Not that they cared. It was just the motive they needed to continue to bully him the way they had for a long time.

Mira and Ami were the kind of people who would be content with spitting at his face and taunting him with insults because of it. Mori, however, had been known to be aggressive and while he had not yet layed a hand on the blond, he certainly didn't want to stick around to feel it first hand. Being verbally bullied and keeping it a secret from his family was one thing. If he went home with bruises from anyone at school, his parents would blow a gasket.

Hell, Takeo only knew a small extent of the situation, for which Sono was grateful. No one even came up to him to spout off horrid words when he was with Takeo. The ebony haired teen had somewhat of a reputation in this school for being somewhat of a mother hen to Sono to some degree...and wasn't above beating the shit out of people who looked at his friend wrong.

Which brought a quick thought to the front of Sonos brain.

Where was Takeo? Surely he noticed by now that the blond hadn't made it to their usual spot and was looking for him, the front hallways near the school entrance being the first place he'd check. And if that were the case, why hadn't Sono seen him yet? Or at the very least heard his phone go off in his bag? True, he kept it on silent during class hours, but every time after, he'd turn it up so he'd hear it in case something happened.

Wait...what if something did happen? Did Takeo go home early for the day and forget to text him? Or did he text him during class hours and Sono just hadn't seen it yet? He didn't really make a habit to check his messages after class...

What if....what if Takeo just didn't want to see him? Didn't want to talk to him? Was he mad at him for something? Was it because he didn't call Takeo when he injured his hand? Would he even be truly mad about something so small?

Question and question, scenario after scenario went buzzing through Sonos head and he found himself gasping for air. His skin started to feel clammy and he was beginning to feel light headed. Pressing a trembling hand to his head, he felt cold sweat and instantly began to panic.

Without paying any attention to his bullies, Sono backed up a touch and reached into his school bag, pulling out his phone and moved his books around, looking deeper and deeper in his bag until his heart really started to race.

He couldn't find his pills. But that was impossible. He always had his medication on him at all times, in the even Takeo wasn't around to help him push through a panic attack.

That's when it dawned on him suddenly, the oh so clear memory of this morning when Takeo pulled Sono into the school infirmary and got his hand re-bandaged. He recalled Takeo going through his school bag and set aside his pill container, saying how he was going to put it in the front of his bag for better access and lightly scolded him for keeping it buried under his books.

At first thought, Sono was sure Takeo meant he placed the container in the front of Sonos bag for easier access. But now, it was becoming obvious what had happened.

In the confusion and slight annoyance of getting Sonos hand looked at, Takeo must've accidentally set the pills in HIS bag instead of Sonos. And the ever growing feeling of dread had settled like a rock in the blonds stomach.

His worst fear regarding his anxiety was happening. He was having a harsh episode....he didn't have his medication...and Takeo was no where to be found.

He could call him, tell him of the mix up and beg him to hurry to the front hallway with his pills. His phone was in his hand and it was like his head was wired to autopilot, gripping it his shaking palms.

Suddenly, his phone was snatched from his hands and held above his head by Mori, who had a sadistic look in his eye. All the blood in the blond body went cold fast. And that was when he really started to panic.

"G-give that back, Mori!"

"Heh, or what? Your boyfriend will come and beat me up like he does all the other kids? I bet. Takeo's just as pathetic as you are. Besides, if you want it back, you gotta reach for it. C'mon, jump and grab it."

It was one thing to bully Sono because of his frailness, but it was a whole other thing to ridicule Takeo the way he did. Not only did he call Takeo pathetic, but his boyfriend?

It brought an embarrassed flush to his cheeks as he tried to jump for his phone, but didn't count on Mori pushing hard on his chest, sending him backwards and falling on the hard floor, the force of the fall hitting a bruise he had on his arm. He cried out in pain for a split second, only to curse himself when he heard Mori laugh at him, tripping him every time he tried to stand.

"God, you're weak. You'd think with a rich daddy like yours, he'd have taught you how to fight back like a man. But you're no better than a prissy little girl."

That comment made Ami scoff at him, averting her eyes the other direction, though occasionally staring at the teen on the floor. True, she didn't care much for him, but even she knew when physical violence touched a step too far. She looked to her friend, Mira, who could only watch in silence, but her grin was gone, which told Ami plenty. In all truth, she hated picking on Sono the way she did, but he just made it so easy to hate on him. But seeing how Mori was ready to actually beat on him, it made her moral suddenly kick into gear. Perhaps it was time to stop this.

Ami reached out to grab the boys phone from her friend, but Mori yanked it away from her, a dark scowl on his face. She returned it in kind.

"Enough, Mori. You know better than to bring Hanasaki's father into the fray. One word about this and he could make you disappear in a snap."

"Oh what? Now you're defending this loser? After all that talk about him being frizzed and a freak?"

"Don't flip this one me! I don't like him but you shouldn't beat on the sap. Now just give him his phone and let's be done with it."

Mori scowled at her again, not backing down from his stance. But instead of fighting her on this, he flung his phone at the teen, hitting him in the chest, nearly knocking the wind from his lungs and was pulled to his feet roughly by his arm, holding back a gasp of pain.

The other boy had a tight grip on his arm as he pulled him closer, whispering with such hatred,

"You're nothing, you know that? If it wasn't for the other loser you hang with, you'd probably be waking up dead somewhere. How does that sound, you junked up freak?"

In any given situation like this, Sono would have said nothing but try and fail to yank his arm free, purely from the irritation of this moment. But something Mori said locked into his head and he found himself trying to chuckle through his gasping breaths, which didn't help his lungs at all. Before he could talk himself out of this, knowing what it would result into, he gasped out,

"How....how does someone wake up dead, Mori-san? Surely you're not getting your information on mortality through...s-stupid zombie movies?"

It wasn't a snappy comeback as he thought in his head, but he knew it made the other boy furious to be talked back to. He threw the blond teen back a bit, seeing him stumble and was about to throw a hard punch to his face. Bravado changed to instant panic as Sono shut his eyes tightly, waiting for the blow to his cheek....it never came.

He heard Mori snap out,

"What the hell? What do you want?!"

And instantly assumed Takeo appeared to help him, ready to attack Mori for hurting his friend. When Sono opened his eyes, it wasn't Takeo he was looking at. Actually, it was the furthest thing from.

In front of him was another teen, his hand holding the punch that was directed at him as if it was nothing and a smirk on his face.

"You know, it's not nice to pick on kids smaller than yourself. I mean, my god, you look like those muscle heads from the bodybuilding shows in the West. My guess is you have what my dad likes to call 'small man syndrome'. But judging how you don't know the difference between waking up dead to actually being dead, I'll assume you don't know what that means."

The surrounding crowd grew silent as a mouse at that comment, some people murmuring at how much of a burn it was towards Miro.

Sono was awestruck for a moment, forgetting about his lack of air for the time being. His brown eyes were wide with surprise that someone other than Takeo came to his aid. After a while, the other boy released Moris fist and turned to face the blond. Almost immediately, Sono felt a blush creep to his cheeks.

He was...most definitely not what he expected. The teen in front of him was just a little taller than him, mostly by a few inches. He had tan skin and wild brown hair and a smile that could melt ice. He couldn't have been much older than Sono was now, at least, not at first glance.

From behind the boy, Mori snapped out,

"You must be that new kid I've heard so much about. The one who was supposed to start high school. Heh, what did you fail the entrance test and got bumped down a grade?"

The teen turned back to Mori and smirked at him, immediately silencing the bully.

"Nah, I'm just here for the shits and giggles. I mean, sure I could have already been in high school, but where's the fun in that. I'm only 15, where's the hurry. That's more than can be said about you? What are you, almost 18 and still in middle school? You certainly look like you're old enough to be a creep. Is that why you hang with such young girls...by the way...nice to officially meet you pretty ladies."

The teen winked to the girls behind Mori and Ami found her face blushing in red. He smiled and turned his attention back to the blond teen behind him, saying,

"Say, you're not bad looking yourself. Though you look pretty red in the face. You feeling alright? Do you have a fever? I don't mind taking you to the infirmary."

The boy knelt to help Sono to his feet, but the blond didn't move. Instead, he was suddenly made hyper aware of the situation. He felt as though the walls were closing in on him and his vision began to tunnel once again. The sight of the person who helped him didn't make things easier on his already rapid heart beat.

He had to get out of here and find Takeo. Now.

"Don't touch me! Just leave me alone!"

He smacked the boys hand away and was quick on his feet, grabbing his bag and phone and bolted down the hallway, ignoring the way the other boy called back for him, confused. As he stood, he heard a chuckle from behind him, followed by,

"I knew it. He's such a freak. Too many pills can do that too you."

The boy scowled and turned to Mori, who was chuckling to himself, which was then greeted by a swift punch to the jaw, sending him down the ground, causing the students behind him to back up. When they all looked up to the teen who punched him, he was cracking his wrist with a dark stare in his brown eyes, poison dripping in his tone as he said,

"I can't stand people like you. The kind that can just hurt people just because they're smaller than you. Well mark my words. I catch you bullying that kid again and you'll answer to more than just my fist."

With that, he picked up his own bag and turned on his heel down the hallway, not looking back as Mori tried to get to his feet. He ignored the stares that the others were giving him as he tried to figure out where that blond kid ran off to, wanting to apologize for embarrassing him like that. It wasn't easy being helped like that, even more so accepting the help.

After a few minutes, the boy stopped another student in the hall, asking if they had seen the blond come by. The response was quick and unusually helpful.

"Oh you must mean Hanasaki-kun. Yeah, he ran into that closet. Poor kid looked like he was about to explode. If you're gonna talk to him, be careful. He's got some serious social anxiety and one wrong thing can send him into a panic."

It was all the info he needed as he walked up to the closet and opened the door, almost feeling his heart reach out in pity.

The blond was huddled in the back corner, knees to his chest and rocking back and forth, clearly trying to calm himself down. He heard the door open just slightly and he snapped his head up to see who it was. His brown eyes widened when he saw it was the boy who helped him and instantly, Sono wiped his eyes on his sleeve, not wanting to seem like a baby.

But the boy smiled and shut the door behind him, turning on the closet light and walked over to the blond, getting next to him on the floor and let out a loud exhale before quickly dropping the ball.

"Sorry I embarrassed you earlier. I just didn't like the way that guy was treating you. I've dealt with enough bullies back where I used to live and it just makes me mad to see people picking on the little guy....no offense."

Sono looked at him for a moment, seeing how there was a soft smile on his face and he couldn't let himself be apprehensive at that. So he smiled back and said,

"It...it's ok."

His words were followed by a loud cough and wheezing, prompting the other boy to pat his back and ask,

"Are you alright? You look like you've just ran a mile....which, haha, I guess it feels like it down here at the end of the hall. But seriously, you ok?"

"I'm fine!...I'm fine...just...it's hard to breath."

"Do you have asthma? No, that doesn't sound right...oh wait, someone said you have social anxiety...here, I have just the thing."

The boy reached into his bag, earning a confused stare from the blond, which only grew as he saw the boy pulled out a brown paper bag, snapping it open and crumpled up the top, handing it to the blond and said,

"Here, breath in and out of this. It may not seem like much, but it'll help."

Confusion turned to curiosity as Sonos shaking hands took the bag and did as instructed, breathing in and out, only slowing down when the boy told him not to breath so quickly.

Eventually, Sono was surprised to feel himself calming down enough to pull the bag away, his heart beating normally and the feeling of panic fading away. It was the same feeling he felt when Takeo was around...but it felt...calmer right here and now.

He turned to look up at the boy, who smiled and ruffled the blonds hair, answering his unspoken question,

"I used to have friends who were easily stressed out and they didn't have medication to help them. Which was good in my opinion; doctors think certain pills help but sometimes they only make things worse. Anti anxiety and depression pills are the worst. So I always carried a brown paper bag for them to breath in when they needed it. I guess it became habit when I moved here, but hey, it was definitely an asset. Haha. You look a lot better too. Not as flushed. Here, you keep that bag. It could seriously help you in case you're alone."

The boy left it at that and reached into his bag, pulling out his bento box and licked his lips.

"Feels like I haven't eaten in days. Haha, and it still smells good. I'm starved."

It didn't take long for him to notice the look of confusion on the blonds face and the boy tilted his head, saying,

"What? You think I'm just gonna leave you alone after helping you with your panic spell? Hell no. Besides, I'm pretty sure you're hungry so if you have a lunch, I'd break it out now. You look like a twig."

He smiled and opened his box, revealing some small sandwiches and some white rice with what looked like teriyaki chicken skewers. It reminded Sono of his own lunch, not to mention the way his stomach grumbled, causing him to blush while pulling out his bento, taking the lid off to reveal sliced strawberries, white rice with diced miso beef, rice balls and a small container of sauce.

As he took out his chopsticks, he heard a loud exclamation of awe from his left, turning his head to the other boy, seeing how his brown eyes were glowing.

"That looks awesome! Those rice balls look so delicious. Who makes your lunch in the morning? Does your mom? Damn, I'm jealous. My mom sucked at cooking so my dad did it all."

The amount of intrigued curiosity from the boy made Sono blush again and smile, looking at his lunch then back at the boy.

"No. My mother used to make my lunches, but I started making my own when I started middle school. Not because she can't cook...I don't think anyone can cook as well as my mom....I'm just picky about what I eat and she gets that. Sometimes, my brother makes my lunches for me before he goes to university. But....nowadays I make lunches for me and my friend....I hope he at least started eating...where ever he is..."

The boy noticed the sullen look in the blonds eyes and lightly patted him on the back, earning a quick glance and a small smile back. The boy grinned at him, saying,

"I'm sure he's looking for you. If you don't mind me asking, what class is your friend in?"

"I think...class 3-B."

"3-B? Well, isn't that funny. Haha, that's the class I'm in. Well, for now anyway. I'll be moving into high school in a few months. Then again, so are all of you. Haha, wouldn't it be awesome if we all went to the same school."

"I suppose it would...heh."

Sono chuckled nervously as he bit into his rice ball, chewing slowly as he heard the other boy dig into his own food, almost like a man starved for the ages. He was done in just a few minutes, setting his lunch box down on his lap and let out a loud exhale, followed by,

"Ahh my dad really knows how to make chicken sandwiches taste awesome. I remember when I was in grade school, he'd make me peanut butter sandwiches, because he read that kids in America ate those and he lived in the states a bit before I was born. He's kind of raised me with both Japanese and American lifestyles and I really like it, though my mom thought it was stupid and weird. Kinda one of the reasons they're separating...ahh but you didn't need to know that. Haha, but seriously. He's an awesome cook. You should totally come by sometime for dinner. I doubt it's as good as your moms cooking as you say, but can't hurt to try, right?"

The way he was grinning at him, his absolutely bubbly attitude, it was almost sickening, but it a good way. Sono found himself smiling as he tried to eat his own food, chuckling as the boy went on and on about nothing.

After a while though, they sat in silence once again, the boys empty bento in his bag while Sono picked at his food. He didn't feel as hungry as he was before, so he offered to share his food with the boy, something he only did with Takeo.

The boy was blown away with how delicious everything was, from the rice ball to the sliced strawberries, which he discovered were lightly coated in cinnamon sugar. He began to praise Sonos mothers cooking, saying he'd never be able to complain about mothers ever again.

The blond would laugh and enjoy the rest of his food while sharing with the boy. There was a sort of comfort Sono felt with him that he hadn't felt since Takeo and it surrounded him like a warm blanket. Like he didn't want to give it up.

So when Sono packed up his box, he turned his head to the boy and said,

"Hey...thank you for helping me out earlier. Not a lot of people would actually jump in to bail me out of a bully situation. So...thanks a lot."

"Ahh it's no big deal. Like I said, I hate people who think they can just pick on someone smaller or weaker than them just because. I didn't have bullies where I was from but I knew kids who did and I didn't stand for it. People shouldn't be bullied like that. It leads to so many bigger problems that others don't need...but I do have to ask. What did that bastard mean when he said 'too many pills?' You're not really a pill popper, are you?"

Once again, a blush graced Sonos cheeks as he looked away, almost ashamed and curled in on himself when the boy began to apologize for offending him. But Sono shook his head, letting out a sigh and said,

"It's not that. I mean...I take pills, but not for the reasons they say...I was...in and out of hospitals a lot growing up and I guess the toll it took on me was bigger than my parents had imagined. The doctors kept prescribing me different kinds of medication and I guess I just never questioned it. I mostly take anti anxiety medication, but only when I feel I need it..like..."

"Like when that bully was harassing you?"

"Exactly. I lock up and freeze so quickly, my heart starts pounding and my vision gets dark. I start to sweat and I can't think straight so I start to panic more and that's when I'd take my medication...or go and find Takeo so he can help me through it. I never need to take them when he's around."

Sono got really quiet after that and leaned his head on his knees, much to the intrigue of the boy near him. He felt him get closer and heard,

"Is this Takeo your boyfriend? Is that why you feel better if he's around and you don't need to take pills?"

Damn this stupid blush on his cheeks. Sonos eyes narrowed as he snapped out towards the other wall,

"Why does everyone call him that? He's not my boyfriend, he's my best friend. He's the only friend I have, the only person I can trust outside my family. He's the only person who ever looked at me and didn't see a rich kid or...or someone who was too shy to say anything to anyone. He cares about me, yeah, but..."

His words trailed off as he thought back to the conversation he and Oto had over a month ago, regarding Takeo's possible feelings towards Sono and how conflicted it made him feel. He loved Takeo, but was it more like a brotherly love, like what he felt with Oto?....what if Takeo truly did feel something more than just a friendship...what if he actually had feelings for him...

The other boy seemed to catch onto the blonds sudden silence and he smiled a soft smile, getting even closer and wrapped his arm around Sonos shoulder, pulling him in closer and while the blonds blush nearly sky rocketed, he looked up at him, seeing his grin and felt...warm. Really warm.

Not bothering to push him away, Sono relaxed and shut his eyes, allowing himself to be comforted by some kid he didn't even know. But this level of warmth was the exact same level as he felt when he was with Takeo and it was so easy to get lost in.

After a while, the boy patted his shoulder and said,

"Well, now you can say Takeo isn't your only friend, huh?"

As relaxed as Sono was, that one sentence caused his eyes to snap open and his senses became alert, head shooting up to look at the other boy, who was still smiling as he said,

"Considering I moved here a week ago, I'm still trying to get to know people and I've seen you around a bit. I know about you, at least a little bit, and I now know what some of these kids think of you. But guess what? I don't care about that. Shyness aside, you seem like a really nice guy. You don't deserve to get treated like a dog. Maybe that's why I wanted to get to know you more...the way you act like you're always by yourself. You seem like you needed another person to lean on rather than just have the one....And....maybe that's why I can't stand being around some of these guys..like that one earlier. If he messes with you again, you let me know or let Takeo know and maybe we'll gang up on him. Takeo might be your first and best friend, but I don't mind being a second wheel. I mean, if that's alright with you, Hanasaki-kun."

There was not one word to describe the feeling of happiness and shock in Sonos chest. The blush had gone away and in its place was the color of his cheeks, a rosy hue as he smiled and nodded quickly. Nothing would make him happier than to have another friend to talk to. Takeo would be so happy to see that he was finally opening up to people and maybe...just maybe...if he worked it out, maybe he, Takeo and this new kid could be the best of friends. He certainly seemed eager to be anyway and the way he stood up for him to Mori...Sono smiled and said,

"I'd like that....oh...and it's Sono, by the way. Do you don't have to call me by my surname."

God the laugh that left the boys mouth was so welcoming. Sono couldn't help but laugh with him as they finally stood, gathering their bags. Before they could leave the closet, the boy walked up to him and raised his hand, pressing it under Sonos long bangs and brushed them back, smiling the entire time.

"Well then, Sono-kun, if I may make a suggestion. You should cut your bangs a little. Having them hang in front of your eyes like this can cause some problems. Plus, you've got pretty brown eyes. Totally sure we'd like to see them more often and not under all this yellow hair."

With a chuckle, Sono backed up and said,

"Are you sure you want to be my friend and not something else with the way you're acting?"

The boy laughed and raised his hands, saying,

"Hey hey, it's all ok. No judging here. I don't label myself as anything other than a decent human being. I like girls yeah, but there's no shame in telling a guy he's good looking if he is. Which you are, let's be real."

"Well then....good to know then."

The two boys laughed to themselves as they exited the closet, thankful no one was around to see them leave as they walked down the hall. They hadn't made it a few feet before a loud voice called from far in front of them.

"Sono, there you are!"

The blonds eyes lite up as he watched Takeo making a mad dash towards him, immediately being embraced hard by the boy, one pale hand digging into his hair and the other wrapped tight around his waist. Sono felt warmth all over and buried his face in Takeos blazer, smelling his cologne and gripped his jacket.

Finally, Takeo broke apart and Sono could see the level of fear in his blue eyes. It made his heart sing for just a moment.

"My god, where were you? I've been looking all over for you. I was told that Mori was harassing you and you bolted like a bullet. Damn, I should have been there with you. I'm so sorry. I got stuck in my gym class and completely forgot to text you. I even found your pills in my bag and..I'm sorry, Sono. I wasn't there for you like I was supposed to. Are you ok? Did he hurt you? You don't look hurt....you actually look fine. I thought you had a panic attack...did you have to deal with it by yourself?"

Just hearing how worried Takeo was about him was making Sonos heart beat a million miles a second. The level of actual concern made him itch to hug him again, but the reminder that they were not alone drew his attention to the now. He smiled and said,

"I'm fine, Takeo. Yeah, Mori was giving me a hard time, but this new kid bailed me out and helped me push through my anxiety. And I don't even think I need to take my pills as much anymore! He showed me a much easier method to calm myself down if I need to. But I'm ok. More than ok. My new friend helped out a lot."

Sono watched as Takeos blue eyes widened for a moment before slowly turning his head to the mentioned 'new friend.' And that's when Takeos eyes narrowed a bit, his hand settling on his hip as he pulled Sono in closer, saying with such snark.

"How did I know you'd find him before I did. You've got some edge to you to go sniffing out for my friend here, eh Nazawa?"

The boy laughed again, saying,

"Hey now, you can't blame that on me. You talked about him so much, I had to know for myself. And you're right. He is quite the shy one, but he's sweet."

"Yeah yeah, flattery won't get you anywhere. Be glad I even struck up a conversation with you this morning. Had I not known who you were, I wouldn't have even bothered."

"And for that, kind sir, I thank you for your humble greetings."

The boy gave a fake royal bow and Takeo rolled his eyes while Sono giggled to himself...only to stop and look up at Takeo, asking,

"Hold on a minute. You were talking about me to him? How are you two even so close now? Is it because you have the same homeroom? That's not fair. Just who is this, Takeo?"

The look the ebony haired boy gave him was a quirked brow and an intrigued grin. Patting his back, he said,

"Do you remember a month ago, we met a nice future shop keep and he talked to us about his son who was moving here with him?"

When Sono nodded, Takeo pointed at the other boy and in an instant, the gears in Sonos head starting rolling at top speed. The boy smiled at him and said,

"My father told me so much about the two of you and he had only had one visit from you. Said I should be friends with you when I started high school, but he apparently didn't want me sitting around the new place like a stump, so I'm finishing up middle school here. Even though I already finished in Kyoto, but hey, I'm not arguing in the slightest. This place is pretty awesome, certain company excluded."

After a few moments, there was silence and soon, Takeo felt the need to back away from the situation to talk with Sono alone. And while he didn't hate the kid in front of him, he didn't feel comfortable sharing his close relationship with the blond yet.

Takeo and Sono each gave their cell phone numbers to the boy and soon, Takeo was dragging the blond off the other direction. Sono had a chance to slow them both down to wave at their new friend, who called out,

"I'll call you guys later tonight! Nice finally meeting you, Sono!"

The blond smiled and nodded, waving back and said,

"It's nice to meet you too...Naoki-kun!"

The boy, Naoki, smiled to himself as the duo turned the corner, letting out a sigh and stretched, feeling like today was a very productive day. Finally making some new friends in a new school was always daunting.

 

\--

Takeo dragged Sono outside the school for a moment, internally grateful that time was going so slow today so he could finally talk out his worries. He wasn't going to allow himself to show raw emotions in front of Naoki, new friend or not.

Once they reached the back of the building, Takeo pressed his friend against the stone wall, staring into his deep brown eyes, seeing the confusion in them. He basked in that stare for a few seconds before wrapping his arms around the blond, silencing any questions he had.

The embrace was nice, welcomed even. But Sono grew even more dumbfounded as to where this was all coming from. There was most defiantly something on Takeo's mind and he was hesitant to share it, at least in public.

Finally, Takeo started talking and just hearing his voice made Sonos heart begin to swell.

"I was so worried about you, you know that? When I got told to stay behind in gym, all these different scenarios went through my head. What if he starts eating alone and chokes? What if he starts question why I didn't show....like....what if he thinks I didn't want him around anymore. What if someone comes to mess with him and he goes in an absolute panic? God...I was so scared and I couldn't even get away to text you and tell you I was running late. And by the time I got to my bag, I saw your pills were there and I freaked out. I ran through the entire first floor looking for you, asking around for you. I eventually found Minora and she said that Mori was giving you hell and that she saw you run down the hall. I was almost ready to ask if she was part of it, but thought against it. And ask much as I hate to say it, I'm glad Naoki found you. I'm glad he was there to help you. I told him about your anxiety and episodes and how things can get dicey if I'm not there to help you....and he offered to help if I wasn't there. I don't know the kid very well and I know his dad mentioned us to him and that's why he's being so nice but damnit....I wish I was there for you. I'm sorry, Sono. I promise I won't be that careless ever again. You have my word. And even if you don't need to take your pills anymore, I'll still be your rock."

There were so many emotions going through Sonos head right now and he couldn't place any of them in any category. They jumbled around wildly in his skull, some of them trailing into his blood and straight into his heart. His vision was getting fuzzy, but not because of any anxiety or any panicking or anything.

His heart starting fluttering and he backed up from Takeo for a moment to look at him, a blush on his cheeks as he said,

"It still amazes me that our friendship means this much to you."

"Sono, don't you get it? Your friendship means more to me than anything. You mean more to me than anything. I care for you deeply and the fact I wasn't there to help you made me so angry that I started hating myself. But then I saw you with Naoki and everything was alright again. I never want to be away from you and when I am, it hurts me deep down. I wanted to tell you for the longest time, but...I was unsure of how you'd react. But now...now I just want to do whatever I can to make you understand. And if you don't, then...I didn't really plan for any 'if you didn't', but...oh screw it."

Takeo wasted no time in trying to find his words and Sono felt as though he understood well enough. Then his next act surprised Sono to where he found he understood VERY well.

The taller boy pressed the blond against the wall and pressed his lips against his, not roughly, but just enough force for Sono to feel the level of internal struggle Takeo was clearly going through. But there was no amount of internal struggle that could come to close to what Sono was feeling deep down.

Those dreaded memories of Chino started to surface quickly, making his eyes widen in horror in the midst of Takeo's sudden display of affection. It was almost enough for Sono to push Takeo away, but somehow, the image faded as quickly as it came as the boy pressed harder. Chino was gone, Sono had to keep telling himself that. Chino was gone...Takeo was here. Takeo would protect him from people like Chino. Takeo was everything Sono wanted at this moment. He now understood what Oto had told him some time ago. That he should follow his heart with this.

Finally, Takeo broke their kiss and looked at his friend, seeing the beautiful pink flush on his cheeks, brown eyes looking wide at him in surprise and Takeo could feel his skin trembling. It worried him; had he pushed too hard? Should he have waited?

"Shit...Sono, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to say so...I...I hope you can forgive me..I just...I care about you a lot. I always have. Ever since we were kids."

The blond could not stop his arms from wrapping around Takeo's neck, couldn't stop his voice from asking,

"How long have you really felt this way?"

Now it was Takeo's turn to blush as he averted his eyes, looking at a patch of grass as he said,

"Since....when you fell into the ice cap near my house...when my dad saved your life...I was so scared I was going to lose you. Then you got sick and stopped coming to school...you'd always call and we'd talk for hours...then you just stopped. And your dad said you were going away for a while. When you came back, I was so happy to see that you were ok. I wanted you back so badly and when we hugged that day at recesses, you cried and hugged me so tight, saying you were scared, but you didn't say why....I think I fell for you at that very moment. I knew I wanted to be with you and protect you. But I didn't want to push you so I held back...I don't know why, but I knew I had to speak up soon. Otherwise, I'd go crazy."

Such pale hands cupped both of Sonos cheeks, thumbs rubbing under his eyes and he pressed his forehead against his, golden bangs tickling his skin. Sono felt such love and tenderness seep into his form and began to wonder why he doubted such feelings in the first place. Takeo was his best friend, his first friend. It would make sense as to why he would feel this way.

And somehow, Sono knew deep down he felt the same. Takeo was always there for him, no matter what. It seemed perfect...it was perfect.

With a smile, he looked up at him and said,

"I'm glad you spoke to me that day when we were kids....I'm glad you made me mess up my sketch...if you hadn't....I'd never known what this really felt like. I never thought you'd be attracted to someone like me...but...I'm glad you are. And now I know I'm not just crazy myself. I think I felt the same for a long time, Takeo. I just needed a push."

"Are you saying....you really want this with me? I'm not forcing you? You're not settling?"

Sono could only smile at the look of worry in Takeo's bright blue eyes. He could truly get lost in those eyes. Never once did Sono imagine feeling this way about another boy. Hell, he knew for a fact he couldn't feel this way about a girl...he didn't realize he could feel this way about anyone.

With Takeo, it made sense. And he never wanted to lose this feeling of certainty.

With nothing more to say, Sono reached up and pressed his hands against Takeos cheeks, standing on his toes to reach up and kiss him, adoring the feeling of love spiking through his veins. He felt the boys arms wrap around his thin waist, kissing back with such fierce passion that it made Sono lightheaded. If this is what love was supposed to feel like, he didn't want to lose it.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was watching them from behind the building with a smile. It was a sweet smile, as if knowing this would happen. In a way, he planned that out.

Naoki chuckled to himself, spinning his key chain on his finger, thinking about how his father described those two together, as if his father could tell there was some hidden attraction there deep down. When he told Naoki about during his first week, the boy was enthralled by the thought and seeing as how he helped many of his other friend get together back in Kyoto, he figured this would be beneficial for them both.

True, when he and Takeo first started talking in homeroom, he could get the impression Takeo was very...protective of the blond, but that only made Naoki more engaged with the idea of getting them together.

He certainly didn't plan on Miro being the ass he was and just happened to be walking by the scene, not happy that the blond was the victim of bullying here at their school. But just being in the same room as the blond made Naoki realize that those two were made for each other. And as a new friend to them both, he'd help them in anyway.

With a smile, he walked away as the bell rang for the second half of the day, playing with the piece of paper in his pocket that held Sono and Takeos numbers. He'd make a mental note later to text them rather than call them. It seemed easier.

\--

 

By the time 8 pm rolled around, Sono found he couldn't relax enough to fall asleep even if he wanted to. He was on cloud 9 at the moment. This day had been so eventful that he didn't even know where to begin.

At dinner, he was quick to exclaim he made a new friend at school, Naoki Nazawa, in which Kenji and Naomi made the connection to the new sweets shop opening on main street. They were both thrilled that their son was finally coming out of his shell to meet new people and were even more excited when Sono asked if both Takeo and Naoki could come over some time just to hang out. Naomi was quick to jump and start listing off snacks they'd like and Kenji had to calm her down for the most part, laughing the whole time.

Sono never did mention that he and Takeo kissed today, signaling the start of a new relationship between them both. He wasn't sure how his parents would react to him being in love with another guy, so he kept that piece of information to himself. At least for now. He'd tell them when he was ready.

Though, he did notice Oto was not present for dinner and when he asked, Kenji mentioned he was out with Miyuki and friends. Sono seemed pleased with the answer and left it at that.

After dinner, he sat in his room on his bed reading his manga, finding it hard to do as he constantly had to move his bangs out of his eyes. He grumbled and set the book aside, leaning against his pillows, staring at the ceiling and pondered hard about the upcoming exams, his new relationship with Takeo, his new friendship with-

His phone suddenly buzzed to life, making him jump and gripped it, seeing a new text from a number he didn't recognize. Curiously, he opened it and read the message, smiling almost instantly.

_'Pleasure to make your digital acquaintance, Sono. I texted Takeo earlier, but he mentioned something about having to work with his father tonight, so I humbly reached out to you. If you're still up, that is.'_

Not even a full day and Sono could read that unique way of speaking from a mile away. He typed back instantly and every time Naoki texted him back, it was like a new level of humor and understanding between them both.

 

_S- Yes, I'm still awake, thank you for asking. Haha. I'm actually super wired and can't relax._

 

_N-Oh? Why is that I wonder? Is it from the meeting of such an awesome person like me? XD_

 

_S- NO....well somewhat. Haha. I won't lie, you're a big reason for it._

 

_N-Aww you flatter me. But I think it has less to do with me and more to do with your less than little first kiss with Takeo behind the school shed._

 

_S- You saw that?! You creep! Why were you watching us?!_

 

_N-You can't be totally shocked. I mean, had it not been for my involvement with saving you from the big bad dumb ass today, Takeo probably would have never admitted his feelings._

 

_S-I suppose you're right. He's kind of restricted like that_

 

_S-Hold on. Did he tell you he had feelings for me!? Why am I the last to know?!_

 

_N-LOL oh Sono, you make me chuckle. He told me how you first became friends and I kinda connected the dots from the WAY he was talking about it. I'm not stupid. I know what dorky first love looks like and you two are such dorks._

 

_N-Honestly, it's kinda adorable._

 

_N-Are you seriously ignoring me right now? And I thought we had something special. <:(_

 

_S- I seriously wonder where you've been our whole lives. LOL. I think Takeo and I really needed a friend like you back in grade school._

 

_N-Oh so NOW you respond. Haha you two are honestly pretty cool people. Takeo seems down to earth and you seem up in the clouds. So in this case, you need a center of the world kind of person to balance it out._

 

_S-And you say Takeo and I are dorks._

 

Naoki replied with a quick laughing gif and mentioned he was nodding off, so Sono texted him a quick good night and see you tomorrow before shooting Takeo the same text, setting his phone down and settled against his pillows, blowing his hair out of his face, growing frustrated with it.

After a brief moment, Sono got out of his bed and walked into his bathroom, staring at himself in the mirror, picturing what he'd look like if he actually cut his hair shorter. Naoki said he'd look better without the hair in his face and when he mentioned it to Takeo, it seemed like he agreed, saying he'd be able to see his eyes better.

It was worth a shot anyway.

Opening his cabinet, he pulled out a pair of scissors, debating on if he should talk himself out of this....he decided against that and let out a breath of motivation before gripping his bangs in his hand, slowly clipping away at them the way he had seen many times in movies.

Snip after snip, he watched as golden hair fell from his head, pooling around his feet.

After several minutes, he snipped off one loose end and set the scissors down, taking another glance and his eyes widened. It was like he was looking at someone...totally different. He could actually see his face. His hair actually looked like he was a boy and not a girl in baggy clothes.

Running his hand across his face a few times, as if checking to see if it was real, he let out a loose smile and laugh, astonished that he actually did this himself.

He didn't get much time to collect on it, however, as he heard the front door downstairs burst open then close, followed by running footsteps up the stairs. By the time Sono opened his bedroom door to investigate, Oto was already at the top of the stairs, a large smile plastered all over his features.

Naomi opened her door as well and Kenji followed, asking what was with all the noise.

Oto only had to say one thing and it sent the whole family into a state of joy. And Sono felt the most of it as he smiled.

"She said yes! She said yes! Miyuki said yes!"

Oto repeated the mantra as he scooped his brother up in his arms, spinning him around before setting him on his feet, hugging his parents, who embraced him and congratulated him on his proposal.

No one got any sleep that night. Not with emotions as joyous as they were. Eventually, they all found themselves in their pajamas in the lounge, drinking coffee (black tea for Sono) and discussing Oto and Miyuki's engagement in length, at least, Naomi was as she gushed over her oldest son finally asking his girlfriend to marry him.

As Kenji tried to calm her down once more, Oto smiled and sipped his coffee, all while locking onto his kid brothers smiling face, mentioning,

"Did you cut your hair? It looks nice. I can actually see your face."

Sono blushed and ran his fingers through his newly cut locks and smiled to himself. This day was just full of emotional surprises.

It was kind of refreshing honestly. Not having to worry about nightmares or anything like that. Sono was actually looking forward to waking up in the morning now and actually had a reason to be excited to go to school.

A new friend...a new relationship...Sono gave a toothy grin as he sipped his tea.

Yep. This was quite the emotional day. But he couldn't complain. At least not for a while until he went to bed with a headache thanks in part to his mothers crying that her babies were growing up so fast.

 

 

 

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

"I don't understand why you two have prep classes together and I don't get to have one with either of you. It's not fair."

"Maybe the school is conspiring against you. I mean after all, we're so dashing and handsome and you're so pretty and cute that they had to keep us apart in some fashion. It'd be madness to have the three of us in one room all day. Don't you agree, Takeo?"

Takeo scoffed and chuckled, drinking his soda while Sono threw a piece of fruit at Naoki with a pout. The boy laughed as it hit him in the head, getting trapped in his mop of brown hair. In turn, Naoki picked it out of his hair and threw the small fruit in the near by trash can, fist pumping in the air as it went in with no issue.

Sono sighed and sipped his water, trying to get over the disappointment of the class situation and enjoy Saturday with his friends...rather friend and boyfriend. The word made Sono blush to himself and glance over at Takeo, who was still drinking his soda and chatting with Naoki about the upcoming prep tests.

It had been a long week; with the first winter prep tests completed, the school was now getting ready for the final wave of entrance exams and had placed their third year students in certain prep classes to get them ready. It didn't exactly matter which classes were which; a good few were taking the same prep courses and some students were even set in by alphabetical last names.

Which sort of made sense as to why Naoki and Takeo were in the same class, their names being Mizuno and Nazawa. Or it could had been a case of luck they were in the same class while Sono was stuck by himself in a different class altogether.

With another sigh, the blond leaned back on the bench he was sitting on and stared at the sky, seeing how the grey clouds continued to slowly creep by with their terrible weather. A scowl graced his face and shivered to himself. Spring could come by anytime now...

Meanwhile, Naoki stretched and groaned when his bones popped, a smile on his cheeks as he said,

"Well, that was delicious. Just delicious. Sono, remind me to tell your mom that she needs to adopt me so I can get this kind of cooking everyday. I'm honestly surprised you're so thin."

A small laugh left Sonos mouth as he straightened his back, locking eyes with his friend and said,

"Just because my mom is a good cook doesn't mean I eat a whole lot. Ask Takeo. When we were kids and he would come over for dinner, he'd be the one to eat the rest of my portions because too much would make me sick. And my mom would call him the human vacuum because he'd ask for thirds or fourths-"

"This coming from the kid who has a sweet tooth from the last layer of Hell. Don't make me out to be the pig all by my lonesome, Sono. As I recall, you had a whole stash of chocolate and a wide assortment of candy hidden in your dresser. Bottom shelf where your pajamas were, if memory serves me right. I wonder if it's still there or if you've hidden your treats elsewhere."

The look that came over Sonos face was priceless. Blood red tint covering his pale cheeks and it looked as though steam came from his ears. Naoki couldn't help but laugh and fall back against the grass, holding his stomach. Hell, Takeo chuckled at the look on the blonds face, turning away as if he had won.

It was short lived as he felt a weight crash on his back, arms around his shoulders as he was tackled to the ground, laughing as he tried to pull the blond off him. But Sono was quite persistent.

Settling his weight on Takeo's stomach, he pinned the boys hands to the ground, a sneer in his brown eyes as he said,

"Not so funny now, huh? I've got you trapped. Any more smart remarks?"

Takeo chuckled up at his boyfriend, blue eyes shifting to the left, earning a confused look in the blonds brown eyes. But he soon caught on his he felt arms wrap around his waist and soon, he was hoisted away from Takeo and back onto the ground, facing the sky. He quickly turned his head and saw Naoki smiling at him, arms locked around his midsection, pulling himself to his feet and carried the blond as if he weighed nothing.

The blond didn't care much for this though; he started to struggle, kicking the air and demanding Naoki to put him down, all while the boy chuckled and used his fingers to tickle the blonds ribs. It got quite the reaction. Sono started screaming in laughter, still kicking at the air and struggled harder to break free from his friends hold.

Eventually, Naoki let him go and the blond fell to his knees on the grass, trying to catch his breath and stood on shaking legs, turning quickly to throw a punch to Naoki's face...only for his fist to be caught by the boys stern hand, a sweet smile on his face.

"Awe c'mon, rich boy. It wasn't that bad. No need to be violent, right?"

Brown eyes narrowed at the boy, but he heard a chuckle behind him, twisting his head to see Takeo smiling at him, extending his arm out and broke the two apart, patting the blonds shoulder, saying,

"Calm down, we were just having fun. It's not often we get to spend a weekend together, just the three of us. What with school and stupid stuff like work...well, for Naoki and me. My dads been busting my ass for not helping out as much with the canals and I know you've got your dads shop opening in what, 3 months Naoki?"

"Something like that. Let's see, it's April now...yeah...yeah I think he's shooting for June or July. Somewhere in that window. But yeah. It's a pain, ya know. I don't have much interest in what he's doing, but I won't lie, the things he's been baking lately are seriously sinful. Haha, maybe Sono can be our first official taste tester. Dad's got a lot of great support from the city, but having none other than the youngest son of Fukushimas most powerful figure be a fan? That would send my dads business through the roof."

"Heh...you make it sound like I'm the son of a king. My dad's powerful, but he's not the most powerful. A-and what the hell do you mean taste tester. What am I, a guinea pig?....Takeo, you shut your mouth."

Both boys laughed at the pouting look on the blonds face, but Takeo was quick to wipe it away with a kiss to his cheek, saying,

"We're just teasing, you know that. And I don't see why you're getting uppity. Didn't you say you'd be the first in line when the place opened?"

"Well yeah...b-but I don't need you two to make fun of me for it. God knows I already have bullies who make fun of me for stupid stuff..."

The blond left it at that and sat back down on the grass, sighing to himself and reached over for another can of soda. Between Naoki's tickling and Takeo's not so vague teasing, it left his throat parched and almost beamed when he pulled out the last can of soda from his bag.

But as soon as he cracked it open and leaned back to take a sip, his brown eyes shifted up to gaze at his friend and boyfriend, both of whom were looking at him, both sets of dark eyes staring at him with looks of concern and ever so slight annoyance. The mere feel of those eyes made Sono set his can next to him and asked a simple,

"What?"

He couldn't even get his word out fast enough before he watched the two of them begin to murmur to each other, though, it was loud enough for him to hear quite clearly and obviously intentionally.

"Bullies again, huh? I swear, if it's Mori again, I'll beat him into next week. I told him to stay away from the two of you..."

"Thanks for that, Nao. But I'm more eager to know if there's more than one bully I need to be aware of. Maybe we should kill him. You know....to get a message across. Mori and his idiot friends should know by now to stay away from him."

"Phft, you know morons like that have little to no attention span like that. He probably forgot. But sure. I'm down for teaching lessons..."

"H-hey! Stop talking about me like I'm not here!"

Naoki looked back over at his friend and his mood shifted almost suddenly from concerned to playful once again. A sweet smile graced his cheeks as he got to his knees in front of his blond friend and reached out to lightly punch his shoulder.

The change was so odd that Sono gasped when Naoki's fist made a very light connection to his shoulder, wide brown eyes staring at him with grave confusion. Those same eyes shifted to Takeo, who smiled at him as well, but that same feeling remained.

The tense mood broke when Naoki chuckled and said,

"Chill out, rich boy. We're just teasing. You know that we're really not gonna kill him. He's just an idiot. Right, Takeo?"

Naoki turned his head to look up at Takeo, but his smile faded only slightly when he saw the look of uncertainty in those blue eyes. It was a quick glance before Takeo blinked and nodded, smiling his sweet as sugar smile, saying,

"Of course we're kidding. But while we're on the subject....I want you to be honest with me, Sono. Is Mori still bothering you?"

The blond hadn't realized until then that Takeo had also kneeled down to his level, his pale hand on his his shoulder where Naoki had playful hit, and Sono could feel the comforting gesture seep under his shirt and into his skin. It was a warm feeling and all the blond wanted to do was wrap himself in it. But he also recalled that he was asked a question, an embarrassing one at that and flushed, averting his eyes and said,

"No...not, not much anymore. He still sometimes gives me cold looks when we pass in the halls, but that's about it. After Naoki threatened him and after you almost broke his wrist for nearly putting me through another panic attack, he hasn't done anything. Even after his friends up and told him off, he's still the same as ever. Speaking of which....Naoki?"

"Hm?"

Brown eyes shifted to Naoki, who blushed under that stare as he saw his friend make a face of curious noseiness, a smirk as he asked,

"What's this I hear about you and Minora-san 'kissing' in the hallway after cleaning duties?"

The air around them felt stiff and quiet, but it was shattered when Naoki let out an exaggerated noise and it was only an added sound when Takeo twisted his head back and forth from Sono to Naoki, blue eyes finally gleaming as he put the pieces together. He exclaimed,

"Minora? As in Minora Ami?! Are you serious? Of all the girls you could have gone for in the entire school, you picked the poster girl for popular cliches? Ahaha! That's rich. Not even a full year in Fukushima and you've already gotten in good with the popular kids."

Naoki grumbled to himself, rubbing the back of his hair as Takeo continued to laugh while Sono chuckled with him, finding it funny how flustered his friend was getting over something so small as being seen with a girl.

Well...not just a girl per-say. Minora Ami was, by all counts, a very well known person in their middle school. While Sono was no small name either, what with his father being one of the most powerful men in the city, Ami's mother co-owned several clothing stores throughout the major part of the city.

And even though Ami was, at one time, friends with Mori and was once one of Sonos bullies through grade school, it seemed she grew out of it and opted to leave him be...prior incidents excluded.

And it was also no secret she was shooting for the same school Sono and Takeo were going for, which meant Naoki would most likely follow them. In a way, that was a good thing. Sono had wanted the three of them together at the same high school, but it seemed as though Naoki might've had other plans where Ami would be involved.

It hurt a little; the two had only just formed a great bond with their new friend and now he had to get himself a girlfriend and his attention would be shifted elsewhere.

A soft kiss to his temple pulled him from his thoughts as he turned lightly to face Takeo, who was smiling at him and peppering light kisses to his hair, his hands on his left knee. It was enough to calm Sonos mind and it made him smile, even as he caught Naoki giving them a silly grin, rubbing his nose.

Things seemed so different now and yet he couldn't place it. But it was a nice feeling, a feeling he could get used to. His best friend turned boyfriend, his new friend already becoming his next best friend. It truly was a wonderful feeling.

Once again though, the mood was broken by the sound of a soft ringing song, coming from Sonos pocket. Takeo was kind enough to pull off of him so he could pull out his cellphone, opened it and scanned the text that came through. He sighed, quickly typing a message in reply, saying,

"I hate to cut this short, but that was my brother. I forgot he's helping me study for the entrance exams today and he wants to take me out for dinner afterwards with Miyuki. He's on his way to pick me up."

"Ahhhh but we were just starting to have fun! Can't he wait a few more minutes?"

"Nah, you don't know Oto-kun, Nao. He's always been the brains of their family and while Sono is the one with the talent for art, Oto has always been the reason he's gotten such good grades. I mean for real. Sono would never need to set foot in a cram school with such a tutor like his brother. But I digress. Tell your brother I said hi, ok?"

The blond nodded with a smile and stood, collecting his things and settled them in his bag. As he threw his bag over his shoulder, Takeo came up behind him and pressed a kiss to his neck, making him freeze for a moment. And he was thankful Naoki was turned the other way as his blush reached his ears.

Takeo felt him freeze and pulled back a little, whispering,

"Was that ok? I didn't scare you, did I?"

"Huh? Oh no...it's ok. You just surprised me is all....you're getting bold with me."

"Heh, sorry. It's just getting more and more hard to not be close to you. After 8 years, I'm trying hard to hold back a lot of feelings. Just tell me if I overstep, ok? I don't want to push you."

There was no way Sono could hold back the smile that graced his features at that. Especially as Takeo tightened his embrace around his small hips, kissing the back of his head, inhaling the scent of his golden hair. Takeo would always compare the smell of his hair to fresh flowers and tea, things he thought to be relaxing. It was an odd compliment, but one that would make Sono flush brightly.

Turning his head to face such bright blue eyes, he was greeted with Takeo's sweet smile and he felt himself becoming lost in it, his own smile softening as he rest his face in the crook of the boys neck, smelling his cologne. It didn't take him long to lift his head and Takeo took this chance to capture his lips in a smooth kiss, his pale hand caressing the blonds cheek.

This was another thing Sono was quickly becoming used to. Every time he and Takeo kissed, it was like the last few years of his hospitalization didn't matter. He still had scars, but they didn't hurt as much when Takeo was with him like this. And lately, their kisses were becoming more meaningful, full of innocent passion. They were only teenagers, after all. Pretty soon, they'd be in high school together, something Sono was eagerly looking forward to. He wanted so badly to take his relationship with Takeo to another level...

....even if that meant telling his family about it, something he hadn't tried to do yet. And Takeo understood, at least, he claimed to. Sono could see Takeo was more or less hurt by the fact that the blond hadn't mentioned anything about them to his own family. It wasn't for any cruel reason...it was more the possibility of what Kenji would say if he found out his youngest son...his youngest son who was raped and had such deep emotional scarring...was in a relationship with another boy. Sono couldn't bring himself to tell any of them yet....he'd most likely tell Oto first and work his way up.

Maybe.

Takeo broke the kiss first, feeling the blond grow tense in his arms. Fearing he overstepped by such a long kiss, Takeo took a look at his boyfriends pale face, only to see that his eyes were still closed, but not relaxed. His brow was tight and his nose was twitching.

Sono usually had this look when he was distracted with his thoughts and Takeo found this to be horribly adorable as well as obnoxious. With another soft smile, Takeo poked the blonds nose, causing him to open his eyes suddenly, a flush still on his cheeks.

Takeo smirked.

"You're cute, you know that. Always something on your mind and you make the most adorable faces when you're thinking hard."

Then came the pout Takeo was expecting and he chuckled to himself, kissing the blonds cheek in response.

"You two are by far the dorkiest couple ever. But damn, you're so cute together!"

Such a loud exclamation cause both Sono and Takeo to flush, forgetting they weren't alone and their heads turned to face their friend Naoki, a huge smile on his cheeks as he stared at his friends, unable to take his eyes off them.

"I swear, if I had a camera, I'd be snapping photos of you both forever. You're so cute."

"Oi, shut up, Nao. You just wish your Ami was as cute as Sono here."

Naoki grinned to himself, running his hand through his brown hair, not really answering Takeo. And from behind the three of them, a car horn was heard, prompting Sono to whip his head around, seeing his brothers car pull up to the parking lot. He nodded and waved, mentioning to his friends that he had to leave.

As he hugged Naoki and turned to Takeo, he realized that the ebony haired boy was expecting a kiss goodbye with his hug. But with Oto waiting for him and presumably watching, Sono couldn't risk that.

So, he hugged the boy tightly, as if apologizing and bolted towards the car, getting in quickly and buckled his seat belt, smiling at his brother.

From their spot in the park, both boys watched as the car drove off and Takeo let out an annoyed sigh, of which Naoki took notice of, a concerned yet snarky look on his face.

"Penny for your thoughts, friend?"

Takeo looked at him for a moment, then looked away just as fast, sticking his hands in his pockets, grumbling to himself. The older teen smiled a little, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, saying,

"Hey, relax. I know you want to have a more...public relationship with him, but you gotta understand that he's probably nervous about the whole thing. I mean, I can imagine telling my dad, 'Hey, I'm in a relationship with a boy who also happens to be my best friend in the world' and he'd look at me like I've gone insane. Probably not the best example, but from what I've noticed regarding his family, they seem nice and well minded, but I can also see the negative side of telling them he's gay can bring. His dad is pretty well known throughout the whole city. He's been in the media for both positive light and then in a snap, it can be a scandal. I know how these things work; I've seen a lot of movies about it."

Naoki was starting to ramble and Takeo was getting more annoyed that his friend was speaking truths. And he knew it too. Sonos family loved him, but to what extent when it would soon be brought to light that their youngest child was in a relationship with a boy he had known since grade school? Were they open minded enough to accept that? That remained to be seen.

But it also irritated Takeo to no end that Naoki had this idea of knowing Sonos family more than he did, even after only being at his house a few times.

Takeo made a point to not go over as often as he should; something about Kenji Hanasaki didn't sit right with him. It wasn't his wealthy lifestyle or even the fact that he was so powerful that bothered him. Truthfully, he didn't know exactly what it was that bothered him about his boyfriends father. But it was something big. He was sure of it.

Then again, it seemed like Naoki spent quite a bit of time over at the blonds house, not that Takeo was worried about anything happening. The older boy was pretty popular with the ladies, more specifically Minora Ami, who it seemed that Naoki might have already established a solid relationship with.

Good for him.

But Naoki was already spending so much time at Sonos house that Takeo was starting to wonder if his family thought Sono and Takeo weren't friends anymore, though that was equally unlikely. Takeo was always there in the morning to walk with the blond to school for years, eventually changing their route to main street to pick up Naoki if he hadn't left already.

The boy was starting to get a head ache and when he loudly groaned, Naoki chuckled at him.

"You think too much about these things, Takeo. Just relax a bit. I'm sure he'll tell them soon. In the mean time, it's getting pretty late. You have to work with your dad tonight or no?"

"No, not tonight. He's out of town with some old business friends so I have the place to myself until Friday. But it's fine. I like it when he's gone. Gives me time to clear my head, ya know. Think about the important things. Studying for the entrance exams, deciding what clubs I want to be a part of-"

"Thinking of ways to get Rich Boy to open up to you more?"

The way Naoki worded it caused Takeo to flush rapidly and turn his head away, making the older teen laugh a little. But he wasn't wrong. It did seem like he was trying a bit too hard to get Sono to open up to him regarding their own intimacy.

Sono seemed so...hesitant in a lot of ways and Takeo understood the boy was shy. He always had been. Even more so when he was released from the hospital as a child. And he had hoped over the course of a few months into their relationship, he'd be more open with him. That seemed to not be the case. In fact, Sono seemed more shut off than usual around him, even when they kissed. He was so stiff half the time and only seemed to relax when they were alone.

Maybe that was his answer. He needed to get Sono alone for once and perhaps he'd be more lax. It was a thought.

Takeo, Sono and Naoki always seemed to be together a lot and it wasn't like Takeo hated it. He loved his friends and wanted them to stick together, even when they got into high school (provided Naoki and Ami went to the same school he and Sono were going for).

But now it seemed like he and Sono needed time just for them, so they could get their relationship in order like it should be. He wanted them to be a normal couple....well, as normal as two boys can be.

With these thoughts in mind, he and Naoki left the park and went down their seperate routes to go home, with Takeo stopped at the bridge for a moment to pull out his phone, the intent to text the blond, asking if he could come by tonight and see him, if only for a little while.

But when he opened his phone, he was greeted with a text from the blond already, a smile gacing his cheeks as he read the short message.

S- I'm sorry for earlier. I get nervous when you get touchy and Naoki's around. I mean...you know what I mean. Anyway, I just wanted to apologize. I know you want us to take this a bit further. I think I want to as well. But it's hard. I'm not used to being touched so gently by people other than my family. Give me time, Takeo. I want this with you as much as you want this with me.

It was all the boy needed to read and already, he had a grin on his face. The blond knew him so well after so many years. He was content with waiting just a bit longer....maybe a few hours longer.

 

\--

 

7 pm and the house is bustling around with excitement. Oto and Miyuki were going to several restaurants to sample ideas for their rehearsal and reception dinners, with Naomi and Kenji in tow for ideas on private venues. Kenji had asked Sono if he wanted to tag along, but the teen decided against it, wanting to get some studying done and maybe sketch a bit for new manga ideas.

His father was a bit skeptical about leaving him alone for a long while, but Naomi insisted that some alone time was good for the boy, that he couldn't always be coddled like a child anymore.

Kenji clearly still had his doubts; he still truly never got over what had happened all those years ago and he knew deep down, Sono didn't either. He didn't like hovering over his child the way he did, but he also knew his promise to protect his baby was more important than his own nerves.

So, just before they left, Kenji had the idea of having the boy call one of his friends over, just to keep him company. Sono seemed happy with the idea, immediately calling Takeo after his dad suggested it.

Pretty soon, the family had left and Sono stretched in the lounge, happy to have the place to himself, if only for a few moments before Takeo came by.

To make himself comfortable, Sono had changed out of his school uniform and into a t-shirt and pajama pants, standing in the kitchen with a kettle full of water, ready to make himself some tea.

As he stood in front of the stove, watching the fire heat up the kettle, his mind was racing with excitement and nerves. This would be the first time in nearly 8 years that he'd be without his parents and his brother around for more than a few hours (school excluded). He and Takeo could relax in the living area and watch TV for hours, order delivery with the money Kenji left for him. It would be a relaxing night at his home with his boyfriend...

There was a slight twitch in the back of his head, recalling a time when he was almost kidnapped from his bedroom and he shivered, hugging his arms tightly and closed his eyes, trying to will the memory out of his head. He was safe now. Chino was long gone and always will be.

Anything that tried to hurt him now, he'd be protected by his father, his brother, his mother....Takeo and Naoki would protect him too. He was safe. He had to remind himself of that. He was no longer in any danger of being hurt.

Even still, he couldn't figure out why he had a dreaded feeling in the pit of his stomach, like something was going to happen and he'd feel helpless once again.

No...no, he couldn't allow himself to think that way. There was nothing that could hurt him here.

He wiped away the sweat that beaded from his forehead and turned off the stove, suddenly no longer in the mood for tea. It was quiet...almost too quiet. He needed white noise.

Leaving the kitchen and walking up the stairs to his room, eager to turn on his radio and listen to music while he worked for a bit. But as he got up to his door and turned the knob, the same sense of dread pitted in his gut, another shiver rippling under his skin. With a heavy sigh, he opened the door and felt a weird cold breeze touch his face, telling him his window was open. That only made his nerves heighten and he stepped into his room, quickly walking to the window and closed it with a trembling sigh.

The sigh turned into a scream when he felt cold hands touch under his shirt onto his bare skin, causing him to jump and turn quickly, greeted with the smiling face of his boyfriend and a weak chuckle.

Surprised and a little angry that Takeo scared him, Sono punched his arm and smacked his chest, his anger fading into playful fear.

"Takeo, you jerk! What the hell do you think you're doing scaring me half to death like that!"

The boy smiled wide, waving his hands in defeat, occasionally catching the blonds swings.

"Sorry, babe. Couldn't resist it when you called and said your family was gonna be out for a while. I had to keep you on your toes."

"By sneaking into my room and waiting to scare me? Gods...you know I have a weak heart; don't stress me out like that!"

Takeo chuckled and pulled the blond in for a hug, kissing his ear and whispered his apologies, happy to feel such thin arms wrap around his torso, face buried in his jacket.

Finally, after a few moments, they broke apart and Sono sighed, running his hands through his hair and said,

"Now that my heart has gone back to it's normal pattern, what did you wanna do? They'll be gone for a while and I know we have school tomorrow so you can't stay terribly late...I was thinking we could order in and watch movies downstairs. Maybe study a little so we're more prepared for those prep tests-"

"Actually, to be honest Sono...I didn't have any intention of studying tonight. Certainly not with you of all people."

Brown eyes widened a little as Takeo spoke so bluntly and yet, his voice seemed to have taken a deeper octave. Not to mention those blue eyes were glowing into his own and he flushed a little, gulping down his nerves as he said,

"Oh...oh I see...well ok then...um...we can just watch movies and order take out. My dad left us some play money so-"

"That's not what I want to do either. Don't get me wrong, food sounds fantastic right now, since I didn't really get to eat dinner...but, I came here for a different reason. You asked me to keep you company since your family was out for a while. And...well...to be honest...I was thinking we could do something else. Something I've thought about for a while."

"Oh? What's that then?"

The look in Takeos' eyes made Sono a little nervous, even as he closed the ever so small gap between them by pulling the blond even closer, their chests brushing together and chilled hands trailing around his hips. There was a dark blush on the blonds cheeks, eyes wide as he shivered against the others hold.

Then Takeo kissed him and that was when all alarms went off in Sonos head. His eyes widened more than he thought possible, shivering more when he felt the boys tongue force its way into his mouth, tasting his tongue, trying to coax it to play with him.

It wasn't like they kissed like this before. Hell, they had been together for a few months now and knew eachother for years. It seemed natural to be able to make out like this.

But something was different. The way Takeo was going about it was making Sonos heart pound a million times a minute. One of his hands trailed to his waist while the other moved to the back of his head, kissing deeper and gripped the ends of his yellow hair.

This was a different sort of kiss. A kiss that Sono was not unfamiliar with. He had seen his parents kiss like this once before when he was younger, peeking through their bedroom door and was shooed away by his brother.

Speaking of whom, he had seen Oto and Miyuki kiss this was as well. It was something that eager couples did to express something other than their affections towards each other.

It expressed deeper wants....something that required some....bare commitment on Sonos part.

Something he didn't like that with his relationship with Takeo. He thought it would be so innocent, but as the years went on, he should have guessed that the other boy was going to be eager for something more...mature? Was that the word?

His thought were frozen as he felt Takeos hand reach down to lightly caress his bottom and his vision went dark for a moment, memories of that night coming back like a wave.

His hands gripped Takeos shirt, trembling hard in his hold, aware they were still kissing and his mind was starting to screw around with his surroundings.

Finally, Takeo backed away from their kiss, breathing hard and smiling to himself, tilting the blonds face up with his thumb to his chin, taking in his appearance. Blown brown eyes, swollen lips, face flushed in pink and he was panting heavily, body trembling in his embrace.

Leaning over to kiss under his ear, which made Sono gasp and tense suddenly, the boy whispered,

"I've wanted this with you for a long time, you know. Ever since you came back from the hospital all that time ago, you're all I could think about. Nothing else ever crossed my mind. I couldn't focus on school, I couldn't help my dad properly with his job....all I wanted was to be with you. And when I kissed you at school, when you said you felt the same about me, I knew deep down I wasn't going crazy. That I was meant to be with you....and your text this afternoon confirmed all I needed. You want this too, don't you?"

Once again, a gasp left Sonos mouth as Takeo leaned down to kiss his exposed neck, inhaling the smell on his skin, almost letting loose a growl, nipping at the pale skin. He felt the blond jump at the feeling and proceeded to hold him tighter, mumbling in his ear,

"I'll go slow for you, I promise. I'm new to this too, but I think I've read enough to understand what to do. Plus, the classes we took in school helped. I promise you'll like it. I only want to make you feel good..."

There it was. The last image that crossed through Sonos head was Chino whispering those words into his young skull.

_**You'll grow to like it. They almost always do** _

He wasn't able to stop himself as he let out a panicked scream, pushing Takeo away from him so violently that the boy almost fell again the dresser, the blond loosing his own footing and fell against his bed, arms tightening around himself, tears pouring from his eyes, the word 'no' mumbled on his lips. His heart was pounding even hard than before, his skin was starting to get clammy and he couldn't hear his own labored breathing. It was like all his senses shut down as he curled in on himself.

Meanwhile, as Takeo was nursing the back of his head from the hit of hard wood, he almost felt angry about being pushed so suddenly like that. Blue eyes narrowed to the blond for answers, but it all went away as he saw how...distraught he was. The boys anger faded in seconds as he ran to his boyfriend, getting him into a sitting position and tried to get him to look at him. All he got was a frightened cry and saw how the blond tenses away from him.

There was no reason that Takeo could think of as to why Sono was behaving this way. He barely did anything to him, barely touched him. Could it be that the blonds fear of being touched went deeper than he thought before? Surely Sono knew to trust Takeo after all these years, right?

Reaching out to touch his shoulder, ignoring the fact the boy tensed again, he said,

"Sono? Sono, what is it? What did I do? Did I scare you? I'm sorry if I crossed the line again. Please look at me."

When the blond didn't move, Takeo began to panic himself. Wrapping his arms around the boy, who let out another gasp, he started spouting out words he himself couldn't hear.

"I'm so sorry, babe. I wasn't thinking clearly. I thought....I thought this is what you wanted from me. I thought...damn, I don't know what I thought. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted to move forward with you and your text had me thinking you were ready. I can see I was wrong...I'm sorry, Sono. I did it again. I overwhelmed you again. God...I'm the worst...please don't be scared of me. All I wanted was to show you how much I love you and I had to go and muck it up. I'm sorry..."

Sonos trembling died down a few moments into Takeos rambled apology, taking noticed how tightly the boy was holding him, how warm he suddenly felt. Then he felt water droplets on his arms.

Looking up finally, he was surprised to see Takeo crying, those beautiful blue eyes like glowing gems and the blond felt his heart melt. It was true though. He was not ready to take that next step and in his own head, he felt he'd never be ready to take that sexual step forward.

Chino had ruined him in that regards and it didn't help that his affection for Takeo was now taking a hit because of it. He did want this. He wanted to try and force himself to be ready for whatever Takeo wanted of him, but his mind, his heart, his whole body refused to let him even pretend to want it.

He felt weak and stupid. He couldn't defend himself against Chino and now he couldn't even shut his own fears away to be with the person he cared for.

Suddenly, the reminder of what Takeo said hit him like bricks as he looked into those eyes, seeing how wet and wide they were, Takeo cupping his cheeks and saying,

"Say something, Sono! Tell me you're not afraid of me because I'm an idiot!"

....

"You love me?"

The room was silent, save for some heavy breathing. And between the astonished stare from both Takeo and Sono, it was like they were seeing each other for the first time in ages. The ebony haired boy inhaled, swallowing his tears and said, with a tone that Sono couldn't recognize,

"Are you joking? Of course I love you. How could I not? You were my first friend in grade school. The only person I felt like I should even bother with when all the other kids just wanted to try hard. You didn't have to try at all. You're just you....I approached you without even thinking about it. I knew you were someone special and growing up together made me realize how much I really care for you. You think I just went on with my life while you were in the hospital? Hell no. I begged my dad to take me to see you, but I kept getting told I couldn't because your dad was hiding you away from me. I was so mad and so frustrated that I started beating up the kids who made fun of you. It's stupid, I know, but it made me see how much I loved you then...and I think...remember when I said that when I saw you again just after you came back and that was when I realized I wanted to be with you? I think that was when I also realized I loved you. Hell, maybe it was when we first kissed, I don't know. I just know that I want you with me..always. Always and forever."

Somewhere in between Takeos words, he had gently picked the blond up by the back of his thighs and lifted him for a moment, settling him on his bed and was leaning over him, one hand caressing his cheek, the other supporting his weight above the blonds head. Eventually, Sono released his hold on his own arms, relaxing against his sheets, staring up into Takeos eyes, seeing how they were glistening. He could truly get lost in those eyes.

One of his hands trailed up to cup the boys left cheek, rubbing under his eye and he smiled as Takeo removed his own hand to press it closer to his face, kissing his palm.

The atmosphere had shifted from tense to comforting as they touched each other this way, getting the feel of each others faces as if they were blind. They stared at each other, brown set into blue and it seemed like the world had froze just for them.

When Sono finally felt calm enough to move properly, he wound his arms around Takeo's neck, smiling up at him.

"Do you have any idea how cheesy you sound right now?"

Takeo chuckled, leaning down to kiss the blond forehead, whispering against his skin,

"There's the snarky tone I love so much. I hope I didn't scare you...what happened though? You freaked out as if I shot you."

The blond shook his head gently, averting his eyes and said,

"It's nothing. We'll talk about it later. Right now, this is relaxing. I'd like to stay like this for a while."

"Heh, whatever you want...but...is it alright if I kiss you? I don't want you to freak out on me again."

Now it was Sonos turn to chuckle as he wound his fingers through Takeos silky black locks, bringing him closer, whispering, "Idiot." before kissing him softly, allowing the boy to ravish his mouth once again, this time, no sudden surprises.

They remained like that for sometime, kissing as if nothing else mattered, hands sometimes wandering over the others bodies. Sono would feel Takeos chest, feeling how strong he was for just a 16 year old. It made him a little jealous, but when the boy above him lightly tickled under his shirt, feeling his skin, whispering how soft his body felt, it made the blond blush wildly.

Time seemed to stand still for a moment, both of them forgetting their surroundings as they kissed. If this is what love felt like, Sono could truly get used to the feeling. It felt nice, almost like a blanket.

In the back of his mind, he thought for a moment he heard something below him, almost like a slam, but pushed it aside, thinking it was his heart slamming against his spine. His mind was otherwise occupied.

Meanwhile, Takeo broke away from the blonds lips to kiss down his face, reaching his neck and peppering kisses to his throat, his other hand caressing his cheek to soothe him in case this became too much. Judging by the strange moan that left the blonds lips, he deemed it safe and continued to kiss his neck gently.

Sono felt mortified at the sound that left his mouth, not even sure what it was. What ever Takeo was doing to him, it felt odd...strange...good. And if his mind wasn't shooting Chino memories at him from it, then he figured it was fine. He leaned his head back, giving Takeo more access to his throat, which the boy seemed pleased with as he licked a hot stripe to behind his ear.

Another sound was heard, almost like a creaking sound, but both boys were too lost in their own world to notice. Sono felt tears in his eyes with how oddly satisfying this felt. He whimpered a little when Takeo once again nipped at his throat, causing the sound of something hard hitting the ground to startle the blond from his thoughts, eyes snapping open with a quick realisation that he could see the light from the hall way pouring into his room. Arousal settled into fear.

They weren't alone. And that was when he started to struggle away from Takeos hold.

Said boy felt the blond start to panic again, getting up quickly to lean over him again, ready to calm him down, but Sono was trying his damndest to push him off and he was starting to get annoyed as to why.

Gripping down on Sonos wrists and pinning him to the bed, he growled out,

"What is wrong with you all of a sudden? Just calm down."

It seemed to only make matters worse as Sono started to flail under him, the shadow on his bed twisting like a seizure pat-.....shadow?

Takeo noticed there was a light on Sonos headboard and his blue eyes widened. He was sure Sono shut that door when he walked in here.

Turning his head slowly to face the doorway, his eyes widened in horror and now he could see why Sono was trying hard to get him off....which oddly enough, he tensed up, pinning him down even harder.

In the doorway stood a very shocked and horrified Kenji Hanasaki, his briefcase fallen by his feet, having dropped it in surprise after opening the door. And it wasn't just shock or horror on his face.

There was something else...rage. Pure rage. His brown eyes narrowed at the sight of them; Takeo felt his body grow rigid with sudden fear and below him, Sono stopped all movement, brown eyes staring at his father in an unknown form of distress.

"D...dad?"

The air was so tight and tense, nothing could penetrate it. The older mans fists clenched tightly, his vision going red as he stared down Takeo, who by now, felt like his blood chilled over to ice.

He took one step into the bedroom, that one step seemingly vibrating the whole area as he said, with venom and malice dripping from his lips,

" **Get**....the **fuck**...off of my **son**."


	10. Chapter 10

It was a strange feeling, Kenji thought to himself, to have such a nagging itch in the back of his head. Every so often, he would scratch at the back of his hair, thinking it was a bug or just a strange scratch in the back of his skull.

It had been this way since they had left the second restaurant. And he couldn't place why. This should have been a happy occasion. His oldest son was getting married to a wonderful woman. Here they were testing out meals and samplers and he couldn't bring himself to enjoy it. It should have been the whole family here. But this had to fall on a time where his youngest had to focus on his studies, he understood that.

Still...he should be here. That way, Kenji would not be so on edge. He wasn't used to leaving Sono alone for a long period of time. He didn't like to leave him by himself at all...he trembled a little. Maybe that was his issue. With Sono not here, he couldn't fully relax with his whole family.

"Dad?"

The man jerked out of his thoughts, jumping a little and turned his head to face Oto, who was tilting his head at him, glasses resting on the top of his head and a concerned smile on his face. In his hand was a plate of meat samplers and fruits with some small sample forks.

Kenji smiled back, picking up a sample fork and took the plate from his son, slowly picking at the meats. He didn't fail to notice the look his son was giving him. His own brown eyes peered over to him, noticing how that smile almost faded to a confused stare.

"Are you alright? You've been quiet since we left Oisoki. That was 40 minutes ago. Is everything ok?"

Gods, the last thing Kenji wanted to do was make his son worry about his baby brother. This wasn't the time for that. This was supposed to be a good day. But fuck everything right now because Kenji could not stay focused on his son and fiancee like he should.

With a heavy sigh, he said,

"I'm sorry, Oto. I just have somethings on my mind, that's all. And before you ask, it's not work."

"Haha, I'd sure hope so. You promised that we'd leave work out of this tonight. Anything I can help with?"

"Don't worry about it, love. I'll be fine. And by the way, this meat is delicious. I can see you using this as part of the reception."

Otos brown eyes widened and began to glow, something that made Kenji smile brightly at him. It was so hard to believe that his oldest son was actually engaged. Where did the time go? When did his first born grow up to be such a fine young man?

Before either could say anything else, Miyuki and Naomi approached them with bright grins and beautiful eyes. Miyuki was quick to grab Otos arm and pull him back towards the sample table, which was now carrying samples of fish dishes. Oto gave his father a look that read 'we'll talk later' and Kenji waved at him, a sad smile gracing his lips.

When the two were out of ear shot, Naomi wrapped her arm around her husbands and asked,

"Everything ok, hun? You seem so distracted."

"I'm fine. Just...my mind seems to be elsewhere tonight. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset-"

"No honey, I'm not upset. And neither is Oto. We're just worried. You haven't said much since we left the first eatery. Wanna talk about it?"

Kenji looked down at his wife for a moment before sighing again, running his hands through his hair and said, with a tone that reeked of self pity.

"It's...weird, you know. It feels weird celebrating such a great moment without the whole family here. I feel terrible leaving him at home alone."

At first, Naomi's eyes were wide in surprise. Then they softened as she chuckled to herself, lightly punching her husbands arm, earning a confused look.

"Is that all? Oh sweetie, Sono's fine. Don't you remember? You told him to call Takeo after we left. So he's not totally by himself. And besides, what sort of trouble can they get into? I'm sure Sono and Takeo are just relaxing on the couch, watching those ridiculous anime movies they like so much instead of studying like they should."

Oh bless Naomi and her enthusiastic tone. She was so sure that things were fine at home and yet, Kenji felt different. He felt like something was wrong with his baby, like he needed to be there with him. The idea of something happening while he wasn't there made him terribly nervous and he gripped his sleeve where his wife held to him, trying not to look weak.

But she caught on quickly and her playful attitude faded a little as she lightly pulled him away from the tasting table, moving her hand so she was gripping his wrist lightly, brown eyes looking up into his sternly.

"Kenji, you can't keep hovering over him like a mother hawk. For gods sakes, that's my job. He's growing up and if you keep smothering him like this, what chance does he have to officially come into his own when he gets into high school? I promise you, he's fine."

"Naomi..."

"And even if he felt there was something wrong, you know he has both your cell number and Otos. If we haven't heard anything by now, I'm sure-"

"Naomi, for gods sakes, I get it!"

The woman stepped back a second after hearing Kenji hiss at her, but her eyes narrowed as his softened, his hand coming up to hide his face. He felt stupid for acting this way, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

From the day Sono was born, Kenji made it clear that his sons and his wife were his entire world. Hell, when Oto was born, the man almost went on a violent rage when anyone tried to take the baby away from them, even for check ups. He couldn't stop himself.

Kenji loved his family so much that if he had his way, he'd hide them from everyone else. Of course, Naomi was too strong willed for something so ridiculous as that. Oto had too much of Kenji in him to really be hidden away and Sono...well...Sono was still trying to find his place in this world as it was. Kenji couldn't fault him for that.

Naomi could see her husband trying to not have a break down here, not tonight. And she could understand, if only a little, why he felt so on edge. In truth, she also felt like something was amiss at home, but she trusted her son to make the right choices in his life, especially as far as Takeo was concerned.

And while she didn't have much proof to go off of, she felt deep down that her sons friendship with the young man went a bit...deeper than friendship. At least as far as she could tell.

His new friend Naoki was over quite a bit and she adored the boys positive light, seeing how her baby shined when the other was around. But it was around the time that Naoki made his frequent visits on a schedule did she notice Takeo was not coming by as much as he used to anymore.

She had asked Sono about it once, but he had simply said Takeo was too busy these days, but that they were always hanging around each other (they being him, Takeo and Naoki). It appeased her, but she still felt like whenever she had talks about Takeo to her son, his responses remained the same.

His facial reactions did not.

If she had asked him about it when he was in grade school, he'd smile at her and give her a simple answer. But a few months ago, she couldn't quite pinpoint when, she noticed the strange blush he gave off when they talked about Takeo. Not to mention the way he averted his eyes. It only made her suspicions more prompt, but she kept it quiet.

Maybe Kenji's nerves were justified and she was just trying to be optimistic. She trusted Sono to make good choices...but then again...

He wasn't truly healthy in his mind so...dammit, now she made herself nervous.

Masking her nerves with a scoff laced sigh, she patted his arm and said,

"Look, I'll tell you what. If you're so concerned about him, call him. If he picks up, then you know he's ok. If he doesn't, then you can head home and check on him."

She was almost astonished at how quickly Kenji pulled out his cell phone, hitting a button and pressed it to his ear, waiting silently. When she saw his eyes widen after several seconds, that was her clue that not only did Sono not answer the phone, but Kenji's nerves were starting to hit dangerous levels.

Before he started panicking, she gripped his shoulder and said,

"Listen to me. I'll cover for you here for a bit. Go home and see if everything's ok....but if everything is alright, I want you back here in 20 minutes. No more. No less. Is that clear? Get in, get out."

"Alright. I'll be quick."

Kenji pressed a quick kiss to his wifes head before making his way out the door and to the parking lot, leaving her to sigh and place her hands on his hips, collecting her own thoughts as Miyuki glided up to her and said,

"Naomi-san, they're about to show us some alternative dessert options for guests....wanna try some?"

"Hm? Oh of course, honey. I'll be right there. Just give me a minute."

The girl looked at her for a moment, wide eyes boring into her future mother-in-laws and said with a concerned tone,

"Is Sono ok? I mean...I assume that's why Kenji-san left."

"....Yeah, you're not wrong there. But don't tell Oto, alright. I don't want him to worry about this. Not today. Promise?"

"You got it."

Miyuki smiled and turned to walk back to the table while Naomi watched from the glass window, seeing Kenjis car drive down the road almost too fast for normal speed. She sighed to herself again. God, her husband worried far too much for his own safety.

Meanwhile, as Kenji merged back onto the highway, his fingers tapped wildly on his steering wheel, desperately trying not to think about what could be happening in his own house.

He tried to imagine the two teens just sitting on the couch, eating junk food and watching anime, joking about school and discussing their exams. It eased him a little, but until he actually saw the image in front of him, his mind continued to race a million paces a minute. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, knuckles turning white as he slowly applied pressure to the gas pedal, eyes catching his exit and almost cut off two cars just to cross the lanes.

As he drove past a red light, he picked up his cell phone, attempting to call his son one more time. When it once again went to voicemail, Kenji threw it in the front seat, suddenly becoming infuriated. He wasn't sure why he was so worried about the boy, but considering that there was a strange feeling in his gut, he didn't want to risk it. His gut feelings were usually never wrong and when it came to his sons, it was as if the feeling was amplified.

Finally seeing his house come into view, he slowed to a respectful speed and parked in his front driveway, confused to see the downstairs lights. Was he asleep? Was Takeo staying the night to keep him company?

Confusion settled into paranoia as he gripped his briefcase and opened the front door quickly, wincing to himself as it slammed shut behind him.

The house was much too quiet and it only made him more concerned as he made his way to the stair case, inching up each step with caution.

"Sono? You still up?"

Nothing. Not a single reply...well...save for a strange sound that came from Sonos room. In seconds, Kenji's instincts kicked into overdrive as he turned on the hall light and made his way to his sons room, standing in front of the door and pressed his ear against it, listening in to what was probably going on.

What he heard was a moan....and his vision went red. His hand went from pressing against the door frame to the knob, slowly turning it and opened the door as quietly as he could, inching in to get a look.

He wished he hadn't. Because what he was seeing was something he was not prepared to see.

On his sons bed was his child, pinned against the mattress with...his friend on top of him, face pressed into his neck and the look on the blonds face looked like pain. Which stood to reason that the moan Kenji heard came from Takeo and not his son. From where he stood, he could make out tear tracks on the boys cheeks, telling him that Sono had been crying at some point this evening.

The mans briefcase fell to his feet as he began to process the sight in front of him. Neither boy had noticed his appearance yet and all the paranoia and worry he felt suddenly was being churned into horror and rage.

It was like seeing that dreadful night again, hearing his baby screaming in pain, walking into his room and being shocked to hell seeing the boy bloody and twisted the way he was. All at the hands of a man he thought was his best friend.

Now it seemed history was playing out the same way, only this time...it was Sonos best friend, Takeo. And just putting those thoughts together in his head made him more infuriated than ever before.

He trusted this boy...he trusted this boy from the time they were both 6 years old. He allowed him into his house, allowed him to be around his son, allowed him to even look his family in the eye when he knew the boy came from such a run down home. Kenji made the effort to treat this kid like a third addition to his family. He put his faith into Takeo that he would protect Sono in the places that he could not.

And this is how he repays his kindness? By taking advantage of his son? By betraying his childs trust and love by forcing him into getting fucked once again?

The hell he fucking will.

He saw the look of shock on his sons face as he finally caught notice of him and struggled under the dark haired boy, who responded by gripping his wrists tighter against the mattress and told him to calm down. Clearly, it didn't help.

Kenji watched as Sono struggled harder and began to ponder why he didn't beat the living hell out of this other boy now instead of just standing there. Perhaps he was still in shock himself, trying to wrap his around the fact that just years ago, he had the very same idea of killing Chino for the same act.

And it wasn't until Takeo finally turned to face him, equally horrified, that Kenji finally opened his mouth to speak. But it didn't sound like words, at least not to him.

" **Get**..the **fuck**... **off** of my **son**."

No one said a word as Takeo slowly removed himself from straddling Sonos hips, blue eyes wide matching the terrified brown under him. He could feel Sono trembling hard, moving to sit up and move his knees to his chest, unsure of what to say or do. Takeo sat next to him, as if sheltering him from his own family, blue orbs no longer wide but narrow as he glared at the man in the doorway.

Kenji caught sight of that glare and immediantly, Takeo regretted it. The aura felt hot, like a smothering heat like was close to melting bones. It was all coming from Sonos father and from behind him, Takeo heard the blond whimper out,

"Dad...it's...it's not what...it's not what it looks-"

He could barely get the words out as Kenji took another step into the room, this time much quicker and before Takeo could even register what was happening, an arm shot out and he heard a loud yelp at his side, seeing a wisp of yellow as Sono was forced to his feet, almost falling off the bed and into his fathers chest. He could tell the grip he had on the teens upper arm would leave some nasty bruises and Takeo couldn't bare to see his love in such pain. Not from his own dad.

Getting to his own feet, Takeo snapped off,

"Hey! Let him go, you're hurting him!"

Once again, Takeo couldn't even react in time. He was hit hard in the cheek by Kenji that it sent him to the floor, gasping for air as if he had been hit in the chest. It was so quick too; he didn't even see his arm move, let alone his whole body.

With Takeo on the floor, Kenji turned his attention to his....petrified child. It angered him to see his baby so upset and his grip on his arm tightened without his awareness.

His voice was soaked in venom as he spoke to his son, seeing how those wet brown eyes stared at him in disbelief.

"Did he hurt you, Sono? You better tell me now if he did."

And in that moment, it became clear to the blond why his father was so angry and why the feeling in his chest was more of guilt then pain. Kenji seemed to have been replaying the image of 8 years ago....only instead of Chino in his room and had almost kidnapped him, taking him away....Takeo was-

Oh god. Sonos eyes grew impossibly wide as he struggled against his fathers hold, crying out,

"No! You've got it all wrong!"

"Do I, now? From what I see, I see mistakes that have been prevented by your loving father...on account of some river rat."

Takeo was not oblivious to that remark and the anger of being hit spurred him on to nearly charge at the man. But he stopped when he was met the barrel of a gun, instantly halting both boys breathing. Takeo froze, eyes locked to the weapon, occasionally shifting to the blond, who was equally scared and tried to pry his arm free, hearing his father talk and tried so hard not to feel the rage pouring from his fathers body.

"To think I trusted you...to think I actually allowed my son...my pride and my reason to live...to be friends with someone like you. To think I thought you cared for him."

Takeo could say nothing; his heart and lungs seemed frozen in place as he continued to shift gaze from the gun to his boyfriend, who was still trying to break free from his fathers iron grip. He took a step backwards and found that to be a wrong move. He tripped over the rug and fell on his back, crawling backwards away from him and Kenji tilted his head at him, clicking the safety back on his gun, putting it back in his coat pocket, brown eyes burning red as he said,

"It'd be too easy to do what I wanted and that would be to kill you. You take advantage of my child, my son...to think I'd let you live is a gift to you, Mizuno. But I can have you sent away. Far away so you will never come near him or my family ever again."

So much was happening all at once and Sono was slowly beginning to lose his mind. In between the fact that he and Takeo were caught in some sort of act that even he couldn't decipher, but his father had this...insane idea that the boy was actually trying to hurt him. Take advantage? How could that be? Takeo would never dream of doing something so...so...

Something so much like was Chino did to him...

No, Takeo was nothing like Chino! How could his father ever make that connection?

Finally, after keeping his mouth closed for so long, Sono snapped out to his father in a fit of his own anger,

"Dad, you've got it twisted! Takeo wasn't taking advantage of me! I wanted him to do it!"

That stopped everything in an instant. And if the air was tense in the beginning, it was thicker than ice now. And in that same moment, Sono felt his fathers eyes shift from Takeo to him and he tried his damnedest to be strong for himself. He would not let his father break him here like this. He narrowed his wet eyes, the way he used to when he was younger, at the man, who simply said,

"What?"

With a deep breath and all the courage he could muster, Sono spoke clearly with no hesitations, provided he kept a close watch on the crack in his voice from all the shaking fear that was settled in his loins.

"Takeo and I have been together for months now and....he just wanted us to be closer, that's all! And...and I was afraid, yes, at first. But he comforted me and I...I wanted him to do what he did. But he wasn't hurting me! I'm sorry...I should have told you this before but I didn't know how to bring this up to you! I was scared that you would react...well...the way you're reacting now! But I'm sorry, dad...I should have told you a long time ago...just please...don't hurt him....please...."

It was quiet, almost deafeningly quiet. Kenji wasn't sure what to say to all this as he watched his son glare at him with those eyes, still wet, but no longer crying and he was trying to pry off the mans grip on his arm. He still was unaware of the grip he had on the boys arm, even as he seemingly tightened more.

His mind was still trying to process the new information he had just received. Sono...his youngest and the total love of his life...was gay? How could he not see this? Ever since the boy was discharged, he spent every moment he could with him, trying so hard to make up for letting him down that night, even when he had the suspicions that he was spending far too much time away from home with Mizuno and that Nazawa kid.

But this was too much coming at him all at once. He wasn't sure how to handle this sort of situation. He didn't even think he had the parenting skills to handle what he had just walked in on.

Taking notice that they were not alone, he exhaled slowly, speaking just loud enough to make his voice calm and not reminiscent of a demon.

"Mizuno..."

Takeos head snapped up at his name and was expecting a verbal assault, one of which he knew he wouldn't be able to come up from. Having a gun pulled on you was one thing....having a gun pulled on you by none other by Kenji fucking Hanasaki just for feeling up his son was a whole other level of terror.

He could tell him father about it, but it would serve no purpose. Kenji had much of the police in Fukushima in his back pocket. And while Sono once said he never liked to utilize that sort of power, Takeo had no doubts this would be one of those rare moments.

"..Get out of my house."

And just the calm way those words were said told Takeo there was no debating this. Looking over to the blond, he weakly nodded and Takeo bolted so quick, he thought he had twisted his ankle leaving the bedroom and running down the stairs. If he was being honest, he did not want to leave Sono with that man. Judging by the way Kenji was...slow to react to his sons sort of coming out, if one could even call it that, it didn't seem likely that the conversation they'd be having would be a gentle one.

Kenji didn't look pleased with the news and Takeo felt more hatred than he ever felt for someone before. He wasn't even mad about having a gun pulled on him anymore. He was more mad about the way the man was handling his son.

Takeo stopped midway through the hallway downstairs and clenched his fists. He couldn't leave Sono up there alone. Not like this. But going back to the room was not an option. Kenji would more than likely kill him.

Meanwhile, Kenji was still trying to form some sort of thought at what his son just told him. Sono could tell the silence was becoming horribly nerving as those wide brown eyes pleaded at him for something to say, anything at all.

At first, Kenji didn't know what to say. What could he say? Words were caught in his throat and he felt like anything he said could be something he didn't mean.

But when he did find something to say, he was even surprised at how....enraged it sounded, yet equally surprised at how calm it was.

"You wanted him...to do such disgusting things to you?"

"...What?"

"You are really going to stand here and tell me you would allow him to touch you in such disgusting ways? Is that it? Have I really been too soft on you when I should have pushed you like I did your brother? Is that why you chose to derail everything I set out for you?"

"Dad, what are you talking about? I-"

Sono was stopped when his father squeezed his arm none too gently and he gasped, nearly falling to his knees as Kenji continued with such a horrid glare in his eyes.

"How dare you. How fucking dare you disrespect our family name by allowing yourself to be lowered to such...filth. How could you do this? How could you be so stupid? Did you really not learn anything from us? Are you really so idiotic?"

By now, both his hands were gripping his sons upper arms, tightening when the boy didn't answer, not that he could.

Sono was put off by the harsh words his father spat at him. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine his father to say such horrible things. Stupid? An idiot? Just for having his first love?

"Daddy...I'm sorry...I love you but...I think I love Takeo as we-"

His head was snapped to the right, cheek stinging where Kenji smacked him hard. Eyes wide once again with shock horror as he leaned against the dresser, head slowly looking back up to his father, whose own eyes were wide with disgust and rage, his hand visibly shaking as he said,

"How could you even say that? You cannot love your family while claiming to love another...ugh..."

Kenji ran his hand over his face, feeling how hot it was from striking the boy's cheek. He couldn't deal with this. There was no way in hell he was going to be able to deal with this. Not without some sort of argument from his wife...

His head snapped up suddenly, brown eyes glaring daggers into his sons, who looked at him with fearful stares, left hand cupping his cheek. There was hurt in those eyes, not that Kenji could see it. His head was filled with questions, yet the only one he could manage out was,

"Does your mother know?"

It was a question Sono was expecting, but dreading at the same time. His wet eyes shut gently as he shook his head, only furthering the hot aura surrounding the two of them.

"N-no...neither does Oto. I couldn't tell them yet...I..I was scared, dad. I know how you all are with these things and-"

"And so with that fact in your head, you still went ahead and dishonored our good name...and here I thought you were better than that."

Sonos head snapped up at that, seeing how his father was no longer looking him in the eye, a scowl on his face. Every gear in the boys head began working double time and his heart started to throb in anxiety. His father seriously couldn't be this upset with him, could he?

Reaching out quickly, the boy grabbed his fathers arm in hopeful concern, but it was roughly smacked away and before the blond had time to think, the back of his hair was gripped so tightly, he felt like the back of his whole head was about to be ripped off.

Then he realized that his father had an iron grip on his hair, sending his nerves racing in shock, even as he was pushed to the floor, face in his rug and he shuddered. This wasn't happening, was it?

The sound of his fathers footsteps next to him caused his blood to freeze, his entire body motionless as he tried to make his arms work, wanting to stand back up, but there was something in his fathers form that caused him to become a statue. He couldn't move even if he wanted to.

From above him, he heard a heavy sigh, laced in disgust and grief, followed with words that stung the teen so hard in his heart, he thought he felt it break with every pause.

"I have no words to describe how utterly disgusted I am with you. I must've done something wrong in raising you if this is the product of 15 years. No...no this has to be something else. This cannot be because of me...regardless...I can't believe this. Not only would you go to such lengths to embarrass, but you go and defend a waste of a human! Not even that! He's less than a waste! Scum of every working mans boot and you, my own son, felt the urge to just lick it up from the floor. How repulsive....I want you...to leave my house now. Leave and find another place to stay. I will not have your filth under my roof."

A shaking hand gripped his own chest, eyes wide with horror and his skin began to tremble. His heart was hurting alongside his head. Gritting his teeth, Sono got to his feet and turned to his father, wet eyes piercing into the other mans as he said,

"You...you're not serious..."

"Did I give any indication that I was fucking kidding around? I said leave. Stay with the scum for all I care. I can't even look at you. How could I have raised such a pathetic waste of sense."

Kenji turned his back to him and Sono felt his heart crush into pieces, both hands gripping his chest in pain. Is that what he really thought now? A waste? No, this couldn't be.

His father was his idol, one of his reasons to push himself to being a better artist. He loved his father more than anything and he knew the man felt the same...how could it all come crashing down because of one person.

With a shaking hand, he reached out to grab his fathers jacket, tears leaking from his eyes, calling for his dad, but Kenji quickly turned to smack his hand away, eyes equally hurt but more in hatred; Sono felt a chill under that gaze and he backed away.

The man shuddered and knew that if he stayed in this room, more horrid choices would be made and he turned on his heel quickly, walking to the door and picked up his briefcase, speaking without turning around,

"I'll give you until your entrance exams. Pass them and leave willingly. Fail and I'll throw you out myself."

He said nothing more as he left, slamming the bedroom door behind him, leaving his son in a pool of tears, tears of confusion, hurt and self pity. With a loud scream into the dark room, the teen fell to his knees, crying into the rug, feeling every part of his body scream with him.

How could this have shifted into something so dirty so quickly? Did his father really want him out? How could he even do that? Sono wasn't ready to live alone yet, hell he was only 15. But the image of his father hitting him the way he did, throwing him to the floor and calling him....a waste of sense...it hit Sono hard in his stomach that he didn't know what to do with himself.

He couldn't stay here, not now. If his father wanted him gone, then he'll go. Go where, he had no idea. Maybe off the bridge at the canals or find one of his fathers guns and shoot himself with it...

His legs felt heavy as he picked himself up from the floor, wiping his eyes and grabbed his cell phone, not knowing at all what to do at this point. Should he call his mother? His brother? Gods, what could they do in this situation? They'd probably be as infuriated with him as Kenji was. Maybe worse. Dealing with his fathers harsh words nearly broke him.

To hear those same words from his mother or god forbid, Oto...he wouldn't survive that.

Opening his phone, he was greeted with the bright screen, followed by what looked to be the picture of him, Naoki and Takeo in front of the school just before they got their exam placement announcements. And that's when his heart sank more.

Takeo...his father kicked him out in his rage. Did he end up going home? Was he waiting downstairs, hiding from Kenji? Sono didn't recall hearing any more yelling, just the sound of the front door slamming.

His nearly broken heart now beginning to race, Sono panicked and looked out his open window, seeing that his father had sped off down the road. Without thinking, he began to climb down the walls of his house, nearly falling when his bare foot slipped from the living rooms window.

The second his foot touched the grass, he bolted and called for Takeo, praying he hadn't left yet. And when he got no response, his heart began to break once again. Falling to his knees again in the cold grass, he sobbed, not knowing what else he could do.

It was getting late and chilly outside, but all Sono wanted to do was collapse and cry, the weight of his fathers hurtful words and actions crushing his soul. Never in his life did he think this could happen. All he wanted was to show off Takeo as his new boyfriend when he was ready. Now he figured there was no hope for that anymore.

A hand touching his shoulder made him cry out and violently whip around, brown eyes wide as he was looking at Takeo, who looked equally as crushed, blue eyes rimmed red. His black hair was mussy, like he was constantly running his hands through it.

Sono didn't wait for a word from him; he simply launched himself into the boys arms, sobbing in his shoulder, feeling warm arms wrap around him tightly. Cold lips pressed to his aching temple calmed the blond down just a little, gaining enough sense to ask through his tears,

"How...h-how much of that did you hear?"

Given the way Takeo tightened his embrace, it was more than what Sono had asked for.

"I heard enough. Damnit, I knew that guy was an asshole. How could he treat his own son like that?"

Sono didn't want to give the boy any other reason to read much into this and began to explain the rest of what Kenji had said. Once he had gotten to the part when he had until his exams, Takeo flipped.

"He can't do that! You're only 15! Once you get into high school, you'll need all that energy to focus on your art! How dare he think he can just throw you out like trash! I won't let him do that to you, Sono. You know that."

"I can't stay here, Takeo...I can't...I can't face him again...not even my mom...or Oto. Oh god...they're going to hate me! Dad's going to tell them everything and they'll hate me forever!"

Takeo stopped his boyfriends ranting quickly, cupping his face in his hands and said,

"Stop it. You can't let yourself think like that! Your dad may hate you but your mom and brother love you so much more than to let something like this get in the way of that! I know your mom; she'll put a stop to this whole kicking you out thing. But in the meantime...I understand you don't want to stay here..."

The ebony haired teen stood slowly, pointing to the backpack he was carrying, along with a school bag and a crumpled bag. Sono looked at him, puzzled, to which Takeo said,

"I figured you'd want to get away from him for a bit. I grabbed what I could and came out here to find you crying. I was hiding from him the whole time in the kitchen, after I heard what he said to you. And you listen to me, Sono. You are not scum....he's the one whose scum....you're the furthest thing from scum and I love you...so much."

More tears leaked from the blonds eyes as Takeo spoke such beautiful words, even more so as they kissed after, Takeos hands cupping his head once more and the blonds arms wove around his chest, pulling him closer.

The kiss was short, with Takeo pulling away to pull out his own phone, dialing a number all while trying to comfort his sobbing friend.

"I can't take you to my dads; if he sees you like this, he'll flip this on you and I can't have that. But I do know where we can go."

There was a pause as he pressed his phone to his ear, followed with his stern tone and Sono gasped to himself, not expecting Takeo to call HIM of all people. Especially in this situation.

"Naoki, it's me...listen, I can't explain right now but I need you to ask your dad if Sono can crash at your place for tonight....it's a long story."

Another pause; Sono could hear the muffled sound of their friend on the other end, with how close he was to Takeos chest. He could hear Naoki running around, talking to other people and eventually heard a girls voice...an angry girls voice. His eyes widened and Takeo seemed to feel the same.

But before they could make a comment, both boys heard Naoki's voice clear through the phone, a similarly stern yet....quite protective tone in the way he spoke,

 

_"Bring him over."_

 

Takeo needed no further context and closed his phone, nodding to the blond and helped him stand, kissing his head and said,

"I'll let you tell him what happened. It's better if he hears this from you."

Sono nodded back and pretty soon, they were walking the dark streets of Fukushima, avoiding any glances that came their way. It did look odd though.

Two middle schoolers walking around after hours, one fully dressed and the other in his pajamas, the latter looking as though he had seen a brutal murder scene.

Sono felt their eyes on them, brain running in a panicked circle, all sorts of scenarios going through his head. Would his father tell his company about what he saw? Would it get out and the whole city would shame him for....for being scum?

He groaned and pressed a hand to his head, ignoring Takeos questioning if they needed to stop.

After what seemed like forever, they made it to Naoki's home, ringing the back door bell to avoid going through the construction of the cafe. They waited no longer than 5 seconds before Naoki threw open the door, brown eyes shifting between the two of them.

He wasn't sure what came over him at that point, but Sono felt the compelling urge to hug him. With another sob, Sono ran from Takeos embrace to Naoki's, feeling his arms wrap tight around his head and back, rubbing his yellow hair softly, cooing him. He looked up to see Takeos surprised, if not irritated, expression, but ignored it and said,

"Let's go up to my room. Dad's still working with the crew downstairs so we'll be alone."

 

\--

 

After 30 minutes of getting the blond into a shower and into some fresh clothes (consisting of Naokis shirt and slacks, all of which were too big for the blond), the three of them sat in Naoki's large room, the older teen listening intently to what Sono was telling him, through his own breaks in tears and suddenly not wanting to talk. Meanwhile, with Takeo filling in the blanks, Naoki nodded his head and sighed, not expecting to have to deal with this out of the blue.

Though he would never admit this, he was happy when Takeo called. It gave him an excuse to get Ami out of his house. Not that he didn't enjoy her company; he was just not up for a night with her constant talking.

Finally, after a moment of silence, Naoki took a drink of his soda, sighing and said,

"You were right to bring him here, Takeo. I know you'd much rather have him with you at you place, but I've met your father...nooo thanks....are you feeling ok, rich boy? Tired?"

Sono nodded silently and Naoki frowned. He didn't like seeing his best friend so upset and it was breaking his own heart. Looking to Takeo, who kissed the blonds head in some sort of comfort, he could see the other was equally tired. He briefly considered letting Takeo stay the night as well, but he just mentioned how he knew the boys dad was....bit of a buzz kill.

After a while, Takeo stood to go home, obviously not wanting to leave the blond behind, but he trusted Naoki to keep him safe. With a sad kiss to the blonds lips, Takeo left and both boys sat quietly in Naokis room...not too sure what to do at this point.

As the older teen stood to clear his small table of their dishes, he couldn't help but stare at his best friend, a sad look reaching his face as he really took in the blonds posture, his own face...his eyes. God, those brown eyes looked so destroyed and it nearly broke him to see him like this. He was so used to seeing a smile on the blonds face, a somewhat calm yet chipper attitude every time they crossed paths. It pained Naoki to see anything else. More so since there was nothing he could do about it.

Setting the dishes on his desk, he moved up next to his friend and pulled him into a hug, a tight one at that, running his fingers through his damp hair, ignoring his friends gasp of surprise. Naoki didn't care about the way he felt such a small body tremble in his arms. It felt good just to at least try and make his friend happy.

And while he knew he'd hear hell about this from Ami later, he found he didn't care about that either, at least not right now.

Pulling him in closer, he whispered,

"It's gonna be ok. I promise you, it'll be ok."

He sounded so sure of himself. It made the crack in Sonos heart widen and he broke out into a soft sob, gripping the boys shoulders, crying in the crook of his neck. He didn't have any clue of what to say or do and think. It was like everything in his mind had been put on lock since his father first smacked him. His cheek still stung as he rubbed up against Naoki's neck, feeling his skin becoming wet with his tears, immediately feeling guilty and tried to pull away, but Naoki was having none of it.

He pulled him in tighter, allowing his best friend to let it out. He had to. It was the only way he was going to heal at this point. He couldn't say what would happen between him and his family though. That part angered him a touch more than he thought it would.

He had always assumed Sonos family was the picture of a perfect home. Hard working, yet loving and protective father, strong and wonderful mother, successful and loyal brother....it was straight from a story of how amazing their family was. Every time he was invited by Sono for dinner or for studying, he found he got along with all of them beautifully. He never thought there would be a malicious side to any of them...especially Kenji Hanasaki.

While Naoki and his own father hadn't been in Fukushima that long, only several months, they all heard the same gossip and same stories, how the Hanasaki patriarch was seriously protective of his family, most of all his sons...more specifically, his youngest.

Naoki looked down at his friend for a moment, trying to put the pieces together. It was no secret Kenji loved Sono like...like the world would implode on itself if there was even the slightest indication of anything wrong with him. He loved him more than any father could dream of loving their own children.

So why, all of a sudden, when it was finally reveled that Sono just so happened to be in a relationship with a boy, did Kenji react the way he did? It made no sense. Nothing about any of this made sense. Takeo didn't make much sense as he told his part of the story either. But then..Naoki knew that Takeo didn't get along with Sonos father, for whatever reason that could've been.

But just thinking of Takeo also seemed to make Naoki a little irritated. Here was his boyfriend, the person he claimed to love so much, going through a major emotional crisis and he just up and left him at their friends house.

Granted, he understood the boys father wasn't the most likable of people; that's probably why Naoki only met him once and decided to never set foot in Takeos home ever again. But to just leave his love here as he sobbed in hysterics, seeking comfort and all Naoki could do was hold him, tell him everything was going to be ok. That was really the furthest extent he could go.

Could he?

Naoki never really dealt with something this serious with his other friends back in Kyoto. He was sure they could handle themselves. This was certainly not one of those situations and Naoki could see he'd have to do much more than be Sonos best friend at this point to pull him out of this.

He'd have to go above and beyond where Takeo couldn't at this moment. He certainly couldn't be the blonds boyfriend, that'd be stupid. But he could certainly try to make him smile again, even under such horrid circumstances.

Pulling the boy away from him for a second, he smiled and wiped the tears from his eyes, speaking in such a calming voice he didn't know he had.

"Dry those tears, rich boy. It'll be alright. Remember what Takeo said. Your mom isn't going to let your dad kick you out this early."

Finally, the blond spoke, and it took all of Naoki's willpower not to break down with him. Because for fucks sake, Sono was making it very hard to keep his composure.

"But what if she agrees with him?! What if...what if she thinks I'm scum too? My father hates me now and if my mom starts to hate me...then Oto will hate me too! I can't live with that! I don't even know what I did wrong!"

"Listen!"

The blond stopped his tears as he felt Naoki grip his upper arms, almost identical to how his father did when...Sono shook his head. He couldn't remind himself of that now. Not when Naoki was giving him the darkest look he had ever seen. It frightened him, but at the same time, it was comforting.

"I can bet everything I own that your mother is not a giant asshole like your dad is being now. She'll most likely come to you asking questions and all you can do is give her your honesty. That's all she'll want. And I know damn sure she won't allow him to kick you out. He might have forgotten for a moment but she's bound to remember you're her child. And as far as Oto-kun goes...well...let's hope he takes after your mom in this sense. But after all is said and done, you can't just resort to crying. Crying will not solve anything. If he gives you gripe about it, ignore it. What's he gonna do? Nothing. Your dad might be big and bad at his job, but at home, he's all talk."

Sono paled at that, thinking back to how badly his father beat Chino after walking in on such a terrible scene. He wanted to tell Naoki he was wrong about that last part, that Kenji was anything but all talk. But he couldn't get a word in. Even as he felt Naokis hands cup his cheeks, forcing him to look into his deep brown eyes.

"And even if something bad happens....even if I'm wrong about everything...if they end up turning on you...and hell, even if nothing happens and I'm just talking crap...I still won't let anything happen to you. And you know Takeo won't either. He loves you...and you're my best friend. I'm always going to be here when you need me."

Damnit all, the blond was so adorable, even when he cries. Naoki smiled and wiped more tears away from his friends eyes, feeling so...different than before. He had 0 experience with something like this and he was quite surprised with how good he was handling it. Hell, he was surprised he was actually seeing a bit of life come back into Sonos eyes. The blond began wiping his own tears away with his wrist, actually chuckling to himself as he did so.

"God...I'm a mess...I feel like such a fool....I'm sorry, Nao. I didn't mean to unload all this on you."

"Hey, don't worry about it. That's what friends are for, right? Pick you up when you're feeling low? Is that how that saying goes?"

There was a hint of a smile gracing that pale face and Naoki was beaming at that. Through all the tears, he could still get his friend to crack a smile. With a smile of his own, he pulled the blond into a hug, rubbing his back and said,

"Hey, if I can convince my dad, maybe we can play hooky from school tomorrow. I honestly don't need it and you're pretty ahead with your studies. And even if you're not, I think Takeo grabbed all your papers for it. How about we stay in tomorrow, study a bit. Take your mind off things for a while and cool down before..well...you have to face the metaphorical music."

It was so tempting, but Sono wasn't so sure. After all that happened tonight, he wasn't keen on his family finding out he skipped school just because he was upset. If his father hated him now...

His eyes shifted to his cell phone on Naoki's table, seeing it blink at him and he shuddered. He kept it on silent this whole time in order to fill his friend in on the situation and didn't even think about the repercussions.

With a shaking hand, he reached to grab it, but Naoki stopped him, taking his wrist into his hand and shook his head, instead grabbing it himself and opened it, eyes scanning for a moment before showing the blond the screen.

It showed several missed calls, all from his mother. There were even a few voicemails from her as well.

But at the very top of the screen, showing recent activity, was a text from his brother that simply read,

 

_'Where are you?'_

 

He couldn't even look at it. He turned his head away in shame and Naoki put the phone down, asking,

"Do you want me to make that call? You can't just let your mom think you ran away. She's clearly worried sick."

It was a tough choice, but in the end, Sono allowed Naoki to call his mother for him, heart pounding as he heard her frantic voice in his friends ear. But the older teen remained calm as ever, answering all her questions with such a smooth demeanor. The blond envied him for a moment; he wish he could be as calm and as cool as Naoki was being right now.

Eventually, Naoki mentioned that Sono would be laying low with him for a few days and most likely would not be at school. Just to cool off. From what Sono could hear, she sounded....almost relieved with her responses. And with that, Naoki hung up and looked at the blond intently. Clearly, they were not finished.

"You need to text your brother too. I heard him in the background trying to take the phone from your mom. He's worried too....do..do you want me to-"

"No. Give me my phone..I'll do it."

Naoki gave the phone back to the blond and watched with sharp eyes as those shaking fingers began typing a short message. Once he hit send, he turned the screen around to show Naoki what he typed.

 

_'I'm with Naoki. He's taking care of me for a while. Please don't worry about me. And I'm sorry. Please don't come get me.'_

 

It was simple, Naoki nodding to himself at that. Though he knew damn well Oto wasn't going to listen to that last part of the message. He was certain that tomorrow morning or afternoon, there would be a knock at his door and Sono would have to face it sooner than he wanted.

But for now, things seemed to be calmer. When he spoke with Naomi, he only slightly heard the blonds father in the background, not saying more than a few words. He didn't sound angry; he sounded hurt.

But Naoki would keep that to himself for now. No sense making Sono stress more than he was. Looking towards his clock, he saw it was around 11 at night. And he knew his dad would be ok with them staying home tomorrow.

He about died when he saw the blond as upset as he was at first. So having Naoki watch over him was a no brainier.

Sighing to himself, Naoki stretched and said,

"It's been a day, hasn't it? Let's turn in. We'll focus on studying tomorrow. Remind me to text Takeo and see if he wants to skip with us....you feeling better?"

When Sono turned his head to look up at the boy, he was surprised to see a smile. A sad smile, but a smile all the same. It made Naokis heart sing for a moment. It made him remember why he liked this kid so much.

"I'm fine now...just tired. Really tired...um...am I crashing on your couch?"

"Shoot no. You can bunk with me. My bed's plenty big enough for two....d-don't ask me why I know that. I've had this bed since grade school. Apparently I was a bed hog growing up and my dad bought me a bigger mattress so I could stretch all I wanted and still have solid-why did I tell you that?"

The blond laughed a little and stood up on shaking legs from sitting for too long, walking over to the bed and plopped on it, his laughter dying down as he said,

"Ohhh it's so soft too. It's like sleeping on a cloud, I'd gather?"

"Yeah yeah, shut up and lay down. You and your issues has given me a huge headache and I wanna sleep."

No malice in his voice, Sono noticed and he smiled, shifting so he could lay down on his side, taking greater notice that Naokis bed was comfortable...really comfortable. He watched as Naoki turned off the lights and crawled into bed with him, turning on his side to look at the back of the blonds head in the dark.

The boy moved suddenly, turning to face Naoki and even in the dark, the boy could see his smile. Naoki smiled in return and said,

"I'm glad you're feeling better. You were really starting to worry me. When Takeo called and told me what the basis was, I freaked out. I've never pushed my girlfriend out of my house so fast before. Haha, I think she's gonna scream at me for that."

"I'm sorry we ruined your night....I know how much Ami means to you in that regards."

"Ahh she might be my girlfriend, but you're my best friend. I've known you exactly 2 months and 6 days longer than I've known her. You'll always be a priority in my life...you know, until things with me and her get serious."

"Eww, I don't need to know this. Shut up and go to sleep."

Naoki laughed hard at that, lightly punching his friends arm and playfully winced when Sono punched him back. Then they finally settled down, with the blond slowly moving until he was cuddled against the older boys chest.

Oh sure, any one else and Naoki would have thrown them out faster than he could get any kind of explination.

But with Sono, it was different. He didn't mind how close he was with him at all. In fact, this was the first friend he ever had that he could share this level of closeness with. It was soothing and he didn't see a reason to hate it at all.

With a smile, he wrapped his arm around his friends head and closed his eyes, allowing himself to give his best friend the one thing he really needed right now.

A gentle embrace.

 

\--

- _Presently-_

 

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god, oh my fucking god...I can't breath right now. I need to sit down."

"Oto, sweetie, calm down. He said he's fine. He's with his friends; they'll take care of him. Please stop pacing, you're making me nervous."

Oto paused his movements to shoot a glare at Miyuki, who shot a glare right back, crossing her arms and legs in her chair, spouting off,

"Glare all you want. You need to calm down."

"Calm down? Calm down?! How the hell can I calm down with what I just found out?! How do I know he's alright and Naoki's not lying to our faces!"

Her brow perked at him for a moment.

"You really think that? Do you really think he'd lie to us about Sono-kuns safety?"

"How should I know? I don't even know what I think I know anymore! I don't even know my own brother anymore! Fuck!"

Oto resumed his pacing and Miyuki sighed, rubbing her temples. It had been like this for well over 45 minutes and she glanced over to the other side of the room, seeing how Naomi was faring against her own ranting towards her husband.

Well, their ranting was different. Whereas Oto was having a mini panic attack about his brothers whereabouts and...newly discovered preferences, Naomi was busy demanding answers from Kenji, who sat in his seat with his head down, hands folded, not saying a word. It didn't stop her from yelling everything that came across her mind about literally everything happening.

For example: why, in the hell, did Kenji think it was not only ok to threaten to throw out their youngest child over something so small, but to also do the one thing he swore on his life he'd never do. Raise a hand to him and hurt him.

He came back from their house in shambles, brown eyes wild with anger and rage and a mix of shock and distraught. And when he was finally able to tell Naomi everything he found out, including what he did to their son, she was baffled to silence. Oto, who heard everything, had to be held back by Miyuki, to avoid attacking his father right there in the restaurant in sudden fury.

Now, several minutes after she had gotten off the phone with Naoki, who was polite enough to tell her everything Sono told him, she was grateful her son was with someone she could trust. Even as Kenji mumbled something about Takeo from behind her, she gripped her phone tightly, grinding her teeth in rage at her husbands idiotic attitude.

Though, she couldn't lie, she was blindsided by this turn of events. She never once imagined her baby to be involved with his first friend, regardless of how close they were. Hell, she noticed how close all 3 of them were together. The idea of anything romantic going on between Sono and Takeo never once crossed her mind.

It was clear she needed to pay attention more.

She was taking this sudden news rather indifferently. She knew that no matter what, Sono was her baby. She wouldn't dream of kicking him out so early, even while he was preparing to apply for his dream high school. But she couldn't help but feel hurt that he couldn't come to her with this news. She thought that they had a close enough mother-son relationship that he could tell her anything. But judging with seeing how her husband took the news, she had an idea it was why Sono didn't say anything.

She felt more for Oto than anything, though. Their brotherly bond was so strong that she thought for sure Sono would tell him first before anyone. But no. She felt hurt and Oto felt betrayed. She could see it in the way he ranted and raved about it, with his poor fiancee trying to calm him down.

It was closing in on midnight; she couldn't take this headache any longer. If her family was going to get through this, she was going to have to act fast. Turning around with her hands on her hips, she called out to Oto, who stopped in his tracks and looked at his fuming mother.

"Oto, I want you to go home and calm down. Stay with Miyuki if you have to, but getting worked up about this is NOT going to make things easier. Yes...I can see you're hurt. I am too. But this is not the time nor is it the place to discuss it...you and I both know Sono needs to lay low for a bit. He's the one whose hurt the most out of all of us."

"But mother! How could he not tell us this?! I thought we had no secrets! I-"

Naomi raised her hand to silence him, a trick that always worked and he shut his mouth in seconds. Miyuki nodded to her in thanks and from behind her, Kenji looked up at his wife, seeing she was trying her best to calm her hysteric family.

He had to admit; she was doing a better job than he ever could.

Naomi sighed and kept her composure, speaking in her best relaxing voice she could.

"Sono will talk to us when he's ready. I get it. We're all surprised about this. But this is nothing to be overly dramatic over. If we treat this like a constant shock, then it's only going to make him feel worse."

Kenji cringed; that last line was shot right at him.

Nothing more was said as Oto and Miyuki left, deciding on going to Miyuki's apartment to talk before going back to his house. As soon as they left, Naomi turned on her heel to face her husband, who gave her a deadpan stare, which made her scowl at him.

They glared at each other for quite a while, for almost hours it seemed, before Naomi finally sighed a sad sigh, hands resting at her sides and as she ran her fingers through her golden hair, trying to think of something to say, all she could manage was,

"We'll talk about this later....let's go home."

Kenji silently agreed, picking up his jacket and payed the restaurant owner for their time and patience before following his wife out the door. He didn't see the absolutely terrified looks of the owner and his staff as they left.

He especially didn't see the owner pulling out his cell phone and began typing, almost as if he was composing an email.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Think of this as interlude part 2. Where as one was a transition from childhood to prepubescent adolescence, this is a transition from adolescence to the most fundamental part of a teens life, at least from one perspective. 
> 
> And because it takes a lot of energy to write sort of abusive parents and extremely loyal friends. The teenage years are always complicated.

When he was informed by his mother that his kid brother would be staying over at his best friends house to lay low from an absolute cluster fuck that was his father, Oto understood almost immediately. Even though he himself was having a difficult time handling this news. It wasn't like he was in disgust like their father seemed to be, he was more...confused and hurt. To the point where he couldn't sleep at night, wondering if his brother was alright, if he was eating, if Naoki was taking care of him like he said he would. Was Takeo there for him? Questions that kept brewing in his head.

In a way, Oto could almost understand their dads reaction, if only at a one percent margin. He could understand the shock of discovering that someone you thought you knew was something totally different. If it was one of his friends or classmates, he wouldn't bat an eye. But being that this was his baby brother, the person he swore to protect in his parents absence, he couldn't help but feel betrayed.

He and Sono were close growing up and ever since the young blond started middle school, it seemed like they had been growing apart. He didn't like that at all. They used to tell each other everything...literally everything.

Oto was the person Sono came to the most when he couldn't sleep at night, be it nightmares or just felt restless. And in return, Sono was the one Oto went to for talks about life in general. His brother was the first person he told when he and Miyuki got together. He was, technically, the first person he told when they got engaged.

When Sono was still in grade school, when he would come home tired and ignoring his own school work in favor of his art, Oto would secretly do his homework for him and play it off that the blond must have forgotten that he did it earlier. He wanted his kid brother to excel in life and if he had to help him out along the way without his knowledge, so be it. That was what family was for.

This though...this was a huge slap in the face to Oto and was an even bigger crack in their trust. The older man couldn't think of any reason why Sono didn't tell him this important information. Surely it couldn't be because of fear. Why would he have to fear someone who loved him so much?

All these questions were getting him no where. It was only making his paranoia worsen by the second. And sitting around at home, listening to his father rant and rave about the situation, combined with his mother trying to calm everyone down, was not helping matters.

She had told him that very night that Sono would be staying with Naoki until this blew over, thinking it would be a few days. That part Oto could get.

When Naoki mentioned that he and Sono would more than likely be staying away from school to help the blond recover, Oto felt that was acceptable as well.

However, he thought he would see his brother come home after 2 or 3 days.

It was bordering on a week. They had been getting calls from the school saying that Sono was not attending class, but somehow, was getting his assignments and practice exams in on time. Considering that Naoki was staying with the blond for his own sake, Oto had to guess Takeo was the reason for such a positive. Which was a good thing. At least one of the three was looking out for all of them.

It made little difference; 3 days was fine, 5 was pushing it just a little. 8 days was much too long and Oto could not wait any longer for his brother.

So, instead of going to his University classes like he should have, he found himself in front of the Nazawa household at 3 in the afternoon, staring at the door, debating on if he should knock or not. His eyes peered through the cafe walls and saw the last of the construction being finished, the workers just sweeping and cleaning. He briefly wondered if this cafe was going to take time away from Naoki to spend with Sono and Takeo.

He wasn't sure why he thought that and he sighed, removing his glasses to rub his eyes. He had been standing here for over 10 minutes and he felt his legs falling asleep. He had to either do this or walk home.

He could recall Miyuki's words in the back of his head, telling him not to force Sono to talk about this, that it would do more harm than good at this point. She mentioned that teenagers who go through such sexual confusion and identity were more prone to emotional breakdowns.

She had said more, but Oto found himself drowning it out. The last thing he wanted to know about Sono was his...sexual wants.

He did, however, hear her say something about letting him come to Oto, to let him choose his pace on how he wanted to approach this.

That was something Oto was no longer willing to wait on. He knew Sono too well; they had too much of both parents in their blood. They were both stubborn and he knew Sono was not going to budge.

So, Oto made the choice for him. If Sono was not going to come to him, Oto would be the one to go forward to his brother and demand answers to questions he wasn't sure he had.

With another heavy sigh, he raised his hand and was ready to knock on the door, bang on it even, but was stopped by a voice, a mans voice, soft yet surprisingly stern.

"If I had to guess, I'd wager you're Sono-kuns brother, aren't you?"

Oto jumped at the sudden voice, turning to his left to see a man standing so close to him, yet still a bit far away. He was dressed in torn pants and a plaid shirt, his brown hair ruffled and sweat on his brow. The blond didn't know what to say, so he just nodded and was responded with a hearty chuckle.

"I figured. You two look just like each other....and I presume you're here to bring him home?"

Once again, Oto had no words, so he nodded again. This time, the response was a sad smile and a sigh from the man. But that smile remained plastered as he asked,

"Has it calmed down at your home? Is it alright for him to be around Hanasaki-sama yet?"

For reasons Oto couldn't place, he felt a little annoyed by that question, yet he wasn't given a chance to answer as the man continued speaking, in quite a calm tone he noticed.

"I try so hard to help my sons friend. The poor boy seems so confused and hurt by what your father did to him. I don't understand it myself. But then, I've never walked in on Nao with another boy before and it wouldn't so much bother me if I did. He's only human. And I think Kenji-san didn't think about that at first. Now, I can't tell you if I know the reasons why he did what he did. Sono won't even tell me. Honestly, I don't even think he knows why. But I can tell you that the poor kid has locked himself in Naoki's room for a week. I don't even know if they've been outside at all since that day. I sure as hell know they haven't been to school. Thank gods for Takeo bringing them their school work every day. That boy really cares for his friends....and I can see how much he cares for your brother...in fact, those three care a lot about each other...."

The man paused, chuckling again and said,

"Forgive me, son. I usually ramble about things even I don't get. But if you're going to take Sono home, let me offer some advice..or rather a suggestion. Talk to him first. I think if he talks to someone other than your mother, it might help him cool down a bit and it might help you understand a little more. Clear? Please don't hurt him anymore than he already is. I know this really isn't my place...but my son cares a lot for him. And I can see the level of strain it's putting him through to see his best friend so upset....here, let me take you up to his room. No dount they're both still up there. Unless you want to do this alone. I have no issue either way."

The air was still around them and Oto knew in a split second that he was being cross examined by someone who was clearly smarter than they really let on. And he had to admit, Naoki's father was rather insightful. Not something he'd expect from a cafe owner.

In the end, he opted to go alone and the man, Huri, pointed him in the right direction after unlocking the front door.

"Up the stairs and it's the last door on the right. And remember. Be patient with him."

With that, the man walked back into the restaurant half of the building and Oto was left with his hand on the door knob, trembling just a little as he turned it and walked inside the house.

It was...pleasant, warm and inviting. Though, Oto wasn't sure what he was expecting here either. It was small, but it was perfect for a single father and his teenage son. Their living room was spacious, as was their kitchen which seemed to have lead to a laundry room, if his ears picked up the noise of a dryer correctly. When he reached the stairs, he sighed and took a step up, almost wincing at the creek of the wooden stairs.

Forcing himself all the way up, he was greeted with the long hallway and several doors, 4 to be exact, all but one wide open. As Oto made his way down the hall, he peered into the other rooms, just to see. He saw the bathroom, clean and organized...he saw the master bedroom, also clean and tidy. The third room looked to be a studio of sorts, with lots of posters and art on the walls.

And then he reached the closed door and he gulped to himself. He could hear voices behind the door, two in particular. One of them sounded gentle, but pretty stern at the same time. The other voice sounded weak and only a hint of nervous. Tilting his head, Oto lowered his hand and ever so lightly pressed his ear to the door, listening intently on whatever the boys were saying.

He was internally thankful these doors were not as thick as they looked.

"How much longer are you going to avoid going home? Don't get me wrong, I love having you here and my dad doesn't mind. But you can't keep this up anymore. Eventually, your mom is going to start getting worried, moreso than she has been. And I really don't want her or your dad coming here, breaking down my dads business to get to you."

Otos brow quirked at that; since when did Naoki keep in such good contact with his mother? Or the better question would be why she was keeping in contact with him?

A sour thought crossed his mind as he recalled what the boys father said downstairs, that Sono talking to their mother and only her about this would most likely make things worse. It made sense why Naoki was the middle man in this, but even still.

"Nao, you don't get it. He said things to me that I never thought he'd say to his own son. He called me a waste of sense...that I was dishonoring our name by...being attracted to someone like Takeo. But I don't get what that even means! I didn't think he ever had a problem with Takeo before....I mean...I knew Takeo wasn't fond of my dad but....I didn't think it was this bad."

That raised even more questions Oto didn't know that he had. Granted, he wasn't home as much as he should have been, what with University and his engagement. These days, he would stay at Miyuki's place to avoid disturbing his family if they were already asleep. Clearly, he should've payed more attention when he was home. He vaguely recalled seeing Naoki over more than Takeo was, which was odd considering Takeo was Sonos first friend and seemingly his best friend.

Somewhere in the span of months, that seemed to have changed and Oto felt stupid for not seeing it sooner. He recalled asking his brother how his friends were doing and the only answer he got was 'fine. They're fine.'

But he didn't realize that the tension between Takeo and their father was even a thing to worry about. He didn't know the boy disliked their dad and for whatever reason, (excluding current standings), he didn't think Kenji disliked the boy back.

He heard Naoki sigh on the other side and he closed off his thoughts for a moment, listening to the boys talk.

"I know, I know...I mean, Takeo would tell me about how he thinks your dad is...a bit full of himself, but I know that's not true. Your dad is powerful, yes, but he'd never let that get in the way of caring for his family. He loves you, Sono, you know that."

"...I know he used to. But now...now I think he feels differently about me. He hates me, Naoki. My father hates me because of who I happen to be in love with."

"But is it really just because of that? I mean, I've heard of parents freaking out over their kids being gay and all, but is it really just because of Takeo? That seems a little unrealistic, even for your dad. Surely it has to be because of something else."

Even through the closed door, Oto could almost see the look of terror written all over the blonds face. He could sense that Sono was cursing at himself for almost letting it slip, something that he knew he couldn't tell anyone. The older blond knew it was hard for his brother to keep to himself. Something like that and he still couldn't outlet that hurt properly.

Damn those stupid doctors. Oto knew they should've taken him home sooner, but he knew his parents had no other choice. And now, so many years later, it seemed as though that pain still haunted the boy and this was not the kind of stress he needed.

"What about Oto? What do you think he'd say about all this?"

The sound of his name leaving Naokis' mouth made his breathing stop for a moment, ear pressed harder in the door to listen. 

"...What do you mean?"

"Well, I know what your mom thinks. And you know...sort of...how your dad feels. But Oto is your brother. Surely he'd take your side in this. Does he feel the same?"

"How should I know? I never told him about this. I didn't tell anyone. You're the only person that knows about Takeo and me...maybe I should have, but how can I now? My dad's told them everything they needed to hear. And if my dad really hates me because of this...what makes you think Oto won't hate me too? He's so much like our dad, thinks the same way, acts the same too...I don't like the fact that my father thinks so little of me now...I couldn't handle it if Oto felt the same..."

A sharp pain started making it's way into Oto's chest and worked its way south. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Is that really how his brother saw him? A copy of their father? Is that truly what years of growing apart had done to them?

He pressed his hand to his heart and fought the urge to slam open this door and pull his brother away. That would only worsen the situation. But he felt like his heart was splitting open. He could FEEL the pain in his brothers voice and almost heard his heart break when he said he wouldn't be able to handle it if he felt the same as their father.

How could he say that? Oto may have been shocked at first, but the only thing he cared about then was if his baby brother was ok. After all Kenji had said that night, he was only concerned about his brothers well being...gods, he wanted to kill his father after hearing all the things he said. He wasn't sure if it was purely out of anger and disgust that Kenji said what he said, but for fucks sakes, that was his baby he was talking shit about. This was the same man who, when either Oto or Sono were sick, would drop everything at work to come home to watch over them while their mother tended the house.

This was the same man who hit his oldest son across the face for not taking better care of his brother, watching him when his friends locked him in the basement for hours and didn't even realize it until after his parents came home. But he deserved that hit. He knew that. And he knew faulted his father for it at all.

But now everything had changed. For some reason, Kenji was allowing his sons sexual affiliation to hurt him more and more and Oto couldn't fathom why. And even then, it wasn't like he had walked in on them having sex. Just some harmless kissing that curious teenagers do.

Oto felt stuck between the desire to turn tail and go home or to see this through and talk to his brother, who he could hear was trying to calm down his tears. It cut him deep to hear his brother crying over this and it eased him just a bit when he hear Naoki try to calm him down.

"Naoki...could...could I have some water? My throat hurts."

"Sure. I could use a drink myself. I think dad brought home some of that flavored stuff you like so much. Let me hit the kitchen."

Panic settled into Otos loins as he realized he was still standing behind the door and had absolutely no where to run. He didn't think about what to say when he would eventually look his brother in the eye after listening to all that. He heard the shuffling of feet and gentle words being exchanged, knowing he had mere seconds to think of something.

When nothing came, he sighed and straightened his posture, his eyes stern behind his glasses as he waited for the door to open.

When it did, he was greeted with a surprised...very surprised....Naoki, whose brown eyes widened like plates as he took in the sight before him. Otos gait looked menacing, deathly even, as he stared at the boy for a moment, then looked past him to see his brother sitting on one of Naokis plush chairs, staring back at him with the same amount of surprise.

Well, surprise mixed with fear.

"Nisan..."

Otos expression softened immediately. He relaxed and sighed again, wanting to push Naoki out of the way and hold his brother tightly, kiss him until he felt better.

But he remained calm as he continued to stare at him, taking in his appearance. He looked the same, just..a little frazzled. His golden hair was messy and it looked like he hadn't even attempted to brush it. He was wearing one of Naokis black shirts and his own shorts, making him look thinner than ever. God...it was so sad to see him like this. Even his eyes looked terrible. Those bright brown eyes were rimmed with red and they looked puffy, like he had been crying for days rather than minutes.

After a moment of tense silence, Naoki felt he had to ask,

"How long have you been standing outside my door?"

 

...

 

"Long enough...Sono, we need to talk. And we need to talk now."

Oto lightly pushed the other boy out of the way and made his way into the bedroom, instantly noticing how his brother got up from the chair and backed away a bit. That hurt more than he thought it would.

From behind him, he heard Naoki huff and say,

"You know, this is my room and I don't appreciate you just barging in here like you own the place."

"Believe me, I could very well buy this whole lot if I wanted to and you'd be singing a different tune. But I don't have the energy to fight with you, Naoki. All I ask is that you give us a few minutes...I understand this is your room...this is important."

Brown shifted to brown as Naoki looked at his friend for a moment, seeing how nervous he looked. He really didn't want to leave him alone in such a state, but they just had a talk about what they thought Oto felt about this situation. Clearly, the older man heard everything, or whatever he wanted to hear, and Naoki knew better than to get in the way of such a family affair.

With a nod and hands raised in defeat, he said,

"I got it. I'll be downstairs if you need me. Just...don't yell in here. I've got a pretty good calming feng shui in here and I won't have you mucking it up."

Oto nodded and soon, Naoki left, shutting the door behind him and the two were left alone, staring at each other with uncertain expressions. It was a tight, tense air between them and Oto didn't feel like even pretending he knew what to say.

Instead, he sat down on Naokis bed and patted the seat next to him, gesturing for his brother to sit with him. It took a few moments, but Sono finally shuffled his bare feet to the bed, sitting down and played with his fingers, not attempting to look his brother in the eye. He could feel Oto so close to him and he wanted to back away again, but remained grounded. This was his brother. He shouldn't be scared of his own brother.

Neither of them said anything for a while, but Oto could see that the boy in front of him was so upset and scared that any yelling he thought he'd do vanished in a moment. His eyes softened behind his glasses and reached out to touch his brother, stopping short when he was the boy tense. Pulling his hand back, Oto sighed and finally opened his mouth, not even thinking of how or what to say.

So instead, he let his heart speak for him. It seemed easier that way.

"Is that really what you think of me? That I'd blindly just follow whatever dad says, does or thinks?"

Sono tensed again, closing his eyes and turned away from the man, shivering in nerves. So Oto did hear all of it. He felt like an idiot. He knew this was a bad idea. All of this. He never should have called Takeo over that night. Then things would be normal again and he could die with his secret.

He jumped when he felt a hand on his shoulder, head twisting to look at it, following the arm up and looked in his brothers eyes. They were glassy and bright, but also had a tinge of pain in them. More pain than Sono had ever seen in his life.

"Sono, that's crazy and you know it. I do have a mind of my own, you know. And you know damn well that I wouldn't hate you over something so stupid. You're my brother. I only want you to be happy."

The teens eyes softened finally, his hand quickly wiping the excess tears away before looking back, not knowing what to say. He wasn't really expecting to have this conversation with his brother, at least not now.

With a sigh of his own, he said,

"I'm sorry, Oto."

"Sorry? For what?"

"For what I did...for what I am. I didn't think dad hated Takeo so much to...say the things he said about me...for hurting me...I thought that if I explained it to him, he'd be ok with it. But he's not...I know he's not. And I don't understand why he hates me so much now...but when Naoki got in contact with mom, he told me she was worried about me and just wanted me to talk this out. But overheard dad in the background and...he said some horrible things. I then I thought about you and how you would handle it and I...I thought you'd hate me too...I was afraid you'd be angry at me for being with another boy and how stupid I made our family look."

"Baby, stop it. Stop doing this to yourself. This isn't your fault. I don't know why dad is acting like this, but that isn't what matters right now. What matters is you and how you're dealing with it. I've been worried sick about you, thinking about how you are and if you're being taken care of. Yeah, I'll admit I was shocked at first, but after a while, that didn't matter...and you didn't make our family look stupid. If anything, dad's the one whose making us look stupid by acting like it's the end of the fucking world. And as for my own thoughts...well...."

A gasp left the teens lips as Oto tilted his head with his fingers to have them lock eyes, moving to caress his cheek. The gentle touch made Sono shiver, remembering how hard his father hit him and wasn't sure to handle such a soothing touch from his family. Naoki would rub his hair occasionally as he slept to make sure he was calm. When Takeo came over, he would cradle him to his chest, rub his back and assure him everything would be ok.

For reasons he couldn't fathom, Sono felt nervous with his brother touching him this way, but the look in his eyes kept him from saying anything.

Oto finally continued his thoughts, unaware with how angry he was getting with himself. His heart hurt as he spoke and he could see Sonos eyes widening with surprise. It felt nice to get the truth out there now, rather than later.

"I'm not mad that you're gay, Sono, or whatever it is you are. Hell, I'm not even mad that you're with Takeo. You two have been friends for years. Honestly, since he was the only person you would be around, it made sense you two ended up developing feelings for each other. Miyuki and I ended up the same way. So I understand how it is you two got together....I....I'm upset that you didn't tell me. Not a thing. Not one inkling of an idea until dad blew up about it."

The man pulled Sono closer to him, ignoring the tensing feeling he got as a response and continued talking.

"We tell each other everything. We have no secrets from each other. We made a promise to each other that no matter what happened, we'd always be there for one another. We're brothers, Sono and it hurt me deeply to think you kept something like this from me. Now, granted, I get why you did. Well...I do now. And I think that hurt more than anything else. To think that my own brother sees me as nothing more than a copy of our father...I would never do anything to hurt you the way he did. I'm so pissed off that he even layed a hand on you for something like this....mom's upset too. She beats herself up about this, how she couldn't see it coming. She worries for you and so do I. She's been trying to keep the peace at home to a point where you won't be bothered...things have sort of quieted down now, but I know that if you avoid it forever, it won't get easier. You're her baby...the fact that her husband even touched you sent her into a rage. But you know how mom is. She doesn't want her family broken apart and she's working so hard to keep us together...and that's what I'm trying to do too. I just want us to be close. Like we used to be...but...maybe we can't have that anymore. And maybe that's ok too..."

Warm arms encased the teen in such a tight hug, so tight that he almost forgot how to breath. He felt his brothers hand in his hair, the other tight around his small waist. He pulled them closer together and pressed a kiss to the side of the teens head, feeling the pulse of a migraine against his lips. It was hard to accept his brothers pain, but all he could do, or try to do, was make it easier one day at a time.

He kissed his temple again, whispering,

"Please come home, Sono. I can't promise that dad will be happy about it, but I can promise that mom and I will make it as easy as we can. I'll be home more often to watch over you. I don't want to see you get so depressed and end up hurting yourself over this. If anything happened to you while I was able to stop it...I'd never forgive myself...please...just come home."

There was a sense of desperation in Otos voice that made Sonos heart crack into pieces. Now he felt like an even bigger ass. He was so worried about what his dad thought and how his mother felt that he didn't put much thought into how Oto felt. It reminded him of when he was a child, being committed to the hospital for so long and how his brother felt angry just seeing him there. It was almost the same principle.

He wanted to go home, truly he did...but the threat of being kicked out of the house come exam time made him hesitant.

Thankfully, it seemed Oto read his thoughts as he said,

"Don't worry. Mom's not going to let him throw you out. They came to a compromise. So long as you pass your high school entrance exam and work hard, you won't be expected to move out until college. Knowing you, you'd be leaving Fukushima anyway. Dad caved; he's all talk anyway. Just...just don't egg him on. I don't know what's going through his head, but I can tell you he's still not happy."

"But then...why should I-"

"Because you can't keep hiding from these problems. If you let dad win this, you'll regret it. Just ignore him. I know it will be hard, but in time, you'll be stronger than whatever he throws at you...let's just hope that's not literal."

Oto leaned in to kiss his brothers forehead and whispered against his pale skin,

"I love you. And all I want is what's best for you. Just give this some time. You'll see. Things will be better."

It sounded so simple; just go home and try to live a normal life even knowing the man he looked up to for years now couldn't stomach the very sight of him. Sono wasn't sure he could handle that. But the way Oto was holding him, telling him all these things...he had to admit that he did miss his own bed. Sharing a bed with Naoki was nice for a while, even though he remembered how annoyed Takeo seemed by it when he found out.

Maybe it was for the best. Maybe Sono could truly make this work.

Oto smiled when he watched his brother nod, pulling him back in for a hug and kissed the top of his head, running his fingers through his hair.

In that same moment, the bedroom door opened and both blonds looked up to see Takeo walking in with Naoki, both looking equally concerned, but relieved. Though, Takeo's blue eyes narrowed at the sight of Oto, still unsure of how much he truly understood about their relationship.

The man didn't say much, but kissed his brothers head one more time before telling him he'd be waiting for him outside...and to take all the time he needed. As he stood and brushed off his jacket, he walked by the two boys and gripped the knob to close the door, stopping short and said,

"Naoki...Takeo..."

He turned to them and smiled.

"Thank you for taking such good care of my brother....and I hope you both continue to do so in my absence...Sono, I'll be outside when you're ready."

And with that, he shut the bedroom door, immediately hearing the two boys break down and hug, with Takeo constantly asking if Sono was alright. Oto smiled to himself. His brother was truly lucky to have such wonderful friends...and a wonderful boyfriend at that.

Walking downstairs, he caught sight of Naoki's father in the living room, who smiled and nodded at him, but otherwise didn't say anything else. It gave Oto a calming sense as he left the house and waited outside like he said he would.

He waited for about an hour before Sono finally came outside, fully dressed in his school uniform, bag and all and gave him a weak smile before wrapped his arm around his brothers bicep, feeling the muscle under his clothes.

As they walked home, Sono mentioned that Takeo had been stopping by everyday after school with school work for him and Naoki, along with practices tests and mock exams so they wouldn't fall behind, stating that he felt ready for his exam. He even mentioned that Naoki had made the decision to follow both of his friends to the new high school, which in turn meant Ami was shooting for it as well.

Oto was happy that his brother was this excited to start high school soon, but it still made him nervous about his time at home. He hoped in his head that Sono would pick up an after school club or something, just to take his mind off things for a while. Or maybe, Naoki and Takeo would be there to help him if he truly needed it.

Once they made their way into their house, Naomi was the first to greet them, hugging her youngest tightly to her chest, her tears soaking into his hair. Sonos heart hurt for making his mother cry like this and he felt like he couldn't do or say much to make her feel better. All he could do was hug her back, apologizing for making her worry so much. The look Oto gave her told Naomi that they would talk later.

Sono then made his way to the stair case so he could lay in his own bed for a while, but as he passed by the lounge, his eyes caught sight of his father sitting at the love seat, looking over some papers before their eyes eventually met. In a panic, Sono gulped and ran the rest of the way up the stairs, feeling his fathers eyes still on him until he was out of sight.

The second he reached his room, he shut the door and locked it, collapsing to the floor and tried to convince himself he made the right choice in coming home. It seemed so awkward; from his mothers emotional hug to the dark look he received from Kenji. He tried to remember what Oto said, that things would get better if he just ignored it for now.

But could he really bring himself to do that? Ignore the man who he loved so much and looked up to as a child? It seemed as though Kenji was kind enough to not say anything when they exchanged looks, but Sono wasn't sure how long that would last.

The sudden feeling of vibrations in his pocket pulled him from his thoughts. He ripped his phone from his pocket and opened it, seeing he had two text messages...both from Takeo and Naoki.

 

_N- Hey, I hope everything's alright. It feels weird not having you here. Takeo's a mess, but I think he's ok now. Listen, call me when you get this. If not, no big deal. I'll see you at school on Monday._

 

_T-Babe, I'm so sorry this is all happening. Naoki told me why your brother showed up and well..at least he gets it. But I hope you're doing better. I'd come by to check on you...but I think it's best I don't show up to your place anymore. At least until your dad comes to his senses. Either way, I'm glad you're home now and that you're safe. I love you. I'll see you Monday._

 

There was no amount of depression that could keep the smile from the blonds face as he read these two messages. He truly was lucky to have such great friends...Naoki was perfect company during the week and he was sure to not become a hindrance. But of course, in his own way, Naoki didn't mind it at all. He liked taking care of his friend in his time of need.

And he had to admit, Naoki was quite the cuddler in his sleep, not that Takeo needed to know that. True, he knew Sono had been sleeping in their friends bed with him, but the ebony haired teen figured it was a comfort thing...which it was. Clearly.

And Takeo was such an incredible boyfriend, taking the time to go to school and pick up all the work they had missed so they wouldn't fall far behind. And each and every time he would show up after school, he'd be holding the blond so tenderly that Sono felt fragile in his arms. Even when they kissed, he felt so glass like, but Takeo was always giving him words of loving compassion.

He briefly wondered what his life would have been like if Takeo hadn't spoke to him that day in grade school, but as that thought came, it left just as quickly. Sono didn't want to think about his life without Takeo...or Naoki, for that matter.

He was elated when Naoki said he'd follow them to their high school, making him so happy he almost kissed him. Well, not really. He kissed Takeo instead in his excitement that they'd be together.

With a heavy sigh, he shut his phone and stood back up, no longer feeling fearful or upset. When he tossed his school bag onto his bed, he caught sight of one of the practice manga books he always kept, picking it up and thumbed through it, seeing how many empty pages there were. He frowned. Now how was he supposed to achieve his goal of becoming a manga-ka when he allowed his depression to halt him from his practice?

He glanced over at one of the practice test books Takeo brought back from school and his frown shifted to a fine line. He nodded to himself.

To hell with his father and his ridiculous thoughts about him. The only thing he wanted right now was to get into his dream high school and work harder than before. He had to, not only for himself, but for his friends who put their own lives on hold for him for nearly a week.

Naoki was right; he couldn't cry forever. Nothing ever got done that way.

Taking off his blazer and sitting up in his bed, he set the book in his lap and started reading, brown eyes scanning from page to page, trying to retain some of this information, eventually grabbing a notepad and started writing.

He didn't stop writing until 4 am the next morning.

 

\--

Several months passed since then and while things were still tense at their home, Naomi found herself beaming as she watched her son try on his new high school uniform, trying to figure out if he should go for a mens medium or a mens small. His frame was so strange and it was hard to find clothes that fit him properly.

But she was more excited for her baby. When he received his final scores and was accepted into the new high school, he was more happy than she had seen in him years. He even got calls from Naoki and Takeo, who also were accepted and were on their way to getting their new uniforms as well.

She sighed though, a little annoyed that she was the only one who took the teen to get fitted. Oto wanted to come, but he became so busy with University and his intern jobs that he couldn't find the time. And Kenji, well....he was still not really speaking to their son. She groaned to herself.

Kenji was acting like such a child; he didn't even congratulate their boy on his entry to the new school, the same one he pushed Sono towards for years. She was getting so angry with him, yet she really didn't know how to approach this.

"Mom, I think a medium is fine. I'm thin, but I think I gained some weight these last few weeks You know, from Nazawa-sans baked goods. Now that I think about it, one of his caramel cakes sounds really good...can we make a stop on the way home?"

She looked up when he spoke and as in utter awe of the fact that her baby was growing up so fast. He looked so well put together in the black and green uniform. Smiling, she stood and grabbed her purse, saying,

"We'll see. We have a few more stops before we can even think about heading home. Plus, I need to swing by Miyuki's place and get her wedding invitations. I promised her I'd mail them off today. Wanna come with?"

"I don't have anything else to do today."

Naomi grinned and lightly punched her sons head, making him chuckle at her and walk back into the dressing room to change. When he was out of ear shot, she sighed again, glad that her son was finally in high school, but not so much when Kenji was refusing to speak to him...at least civilly.

There were times she would hear him mumble such hurtful slurs when he wasn't around. And it made her wonder why she was still putting up with it. Hell, even she didn't know.

But in the end, all she cared about was her sons and their happiness. From what she could see, they seemed chipper. Oto was getting married in a few months and Sono was starting high school soon after. Combined with the fact that he had his two close friends with him, she couldn't see any reason why things wouldn't turn out for the better.

Call it mothers intuition, but there was a nagging feeling in her stomach she couldn't place. It was as if one part of the war was over, but another part was brewing on the horizon. And when she looked at her youngest, all she could see was his 6 year old self, screaming in pain after being...she shook her head at that, willing the image away.

No...No that part of his life was over. And as bad as things were at home between him and his father, she could only hope that things would not turn sour as they had been lately. Kenji had opted to stay late at work and only come home once everyone was in bed. He was purposely avoiding his son and even though Sono refused to admit it, he still blamed himself for it.

Still, there hadn't been anymore abuse, at least physical, going on so there was that little plus.

But if it wasn't Kenji she was worried about, it had to be something else. Something bigger.

Gods, did she ever hope she was wrong.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what comes next?
> 
> That's right. We're about to hit the apex of a troubled life which leads to some questionable decision making. 
> 
> Cause I mean really. Isn't that what High School is?


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the longest chapter so far in the story and yet it feels like it's the most rushed.
> 
> Bad timing is bad timing, but it works all the same. At least I think so :)

One could say that high school would be the best years of a young adults life. It certainly seemed that way. Ever since the induction ceremony, students were already excelling at a a rapid pace, be it tests or average class work.

But the main thing students enjoyed were the after school activities. Those who came from smaller middle schools were overjoyed by the seemingly endless clubs they could join and some clubs even helped fuel their plans for their futures.

Every so often, Sono would find himself smiling during his Advanced Manga-ka club days, paying deathly close attention to the teacher and his lectures, taking notes and drawing every second of the day. These club meetings were one of the many high lights of his day, next to spending the afternoons with Takeo and to a now lesser extent, Naoki. The thought made him frown a little.

While he was excited and thrilled to have his boyfriend and his best friend attend the same school as him, it seemed as though it was the wrong choice. At least on Naoki's part.

The boy had taken up basketball, originally as a joke, but found he had a knack for the sport and eventually tried out for the team, instantly getting in and even made point guard in their second year. He spent a good chunk of his time at practice and Sono and Takeo used to make it a point to go watch him play.

Not so much anymore. When he wasn't at practice, he was more than likely attached to his girlfriend, Ami Minora, and her circle of friends. It made plenty of sense. She became head cheerleader in almost a year and it seemed natural to have the schools star basketball player and the most popular cheerleader as a couple.

It was so teen movie cliche that Sono couldn't help but make fun of it from time to time.

Takeo, however, found this to be greatly insulting and never missed a chance to grumble about how Naoki abandoned them for some 'high class bitch.' Such words that same from Takeos mouth almost irritated the blond to his core, but lately, he became more nervous than irritated.

If anyone out of the three of them had changed, it was Takeo and Sono couldn't tell why. He was still the devoted and loving boyfriend, always hugging him and giving him gentle kisses here and there, bringing him food when the blond 'forgot' to bring his lunch. There were times at lunch where Sono would absentmindedly throw his food away without eating anything and Takeo would feed him rice and chicken from his own lunch. He would always say he couldn't allow his love to go hungry.

It was sweet; Takeo was still so sweet and loving to him even after all that happened. And whenever Sono thought about home, it almost made him cry.

Things were not getting any better. If anything, they were getting worse. His father had not spoken more than 3 words to him since that night and if he ever did, it was slurs and insults, with the occasional back hand to his head. He didn't want to think about how much his father grew to hate him over the years and being with Takeo made the pain stop short every time.

And it certainly helped that Sono was finally starting to become more comfortable with Takeos touch. They started to get more handsy with each other, hot caresses every time they made out. Even still, Sono was still holding back, afraid of those memories and terrified of even telling his boyfriend anything about them.

Takeo was patient; he understood the blond had a lot going on in his life and never wanted to pressure him...even though he was getting rather impatient with himself.

Though he would never admit to to Sono and even Naoki, Takeo was starting to lose patience with his own self control. Months to a year was a long time to collect on ones sexual desires and Takeo knew he wanted his first time to be with Sono and vice versa. But the blond was so fidigty and a bundle of anxiety, he didn't want to risk scaring him.

To ease his own frustrations, Takeo began taking up art himself, the difference being he took up sculpting where Sono took up illustration. And it was soothing to him. The feeling of being in total control of something rigid and unmoving made Takeo feel better than he ever felt in years.

It wasn't like the three never hung out together anymore either. When the stars aligned just right and Naoki had free time, the three of them would go to the park and just sit around, venting about school work and clubs, to other students and even teachers. They were still close...just not as close as they used to be.

Sono seemed to notice as well that Naoki didn't really make the effort to be around them much, at least when Takeo asked. He couldn't really understand why there was so much tension between them lately. He didn't recall a fight they had or a disagreement of sorts. One day they were best friends.

The next, they barely spoke to each other.

But where Sono was concerned, that made a huge difference. Naoki was still so bubbly and cheerful around him and even became a bit more grabby, much to Takeos chagrin. They still talked on the phone a lot, texted every night and usually met up in the morning before class to shoot out conversation.

Sono sighed, rubbing his temples with all these thoughts going through his head. High school was changing things so quickly and he wasn't sure if it was for the better or for the worst. Whenever he looked out the window, he would see clouds forming, imagining them to be linked with his mind.

Because his mind was always cloudy. It always had been. For well over a decade.

 

3 years later

 

_In the last few months, or perhaps even years, who could say, a strange string of murders had been taking place in the lower parts of Fukushima. Police had been investigating for hours every day with every scene, each one coming up dry. The chief of police was forced to make an embarrassing statement regarding the case, admitting to not finding any solid clues or evidence to convict anyone. It was humiliating; no one understood why this was happening. Japan wasn't one to have such horrid acts of violence, especially not one to carry on for years. It seemed to come from no where. And it always seemed to take place near the rivers and the canals._

 

\--

  _-April-_

 

"Will you stop playing with my hair? I only had one chance to get this right and you're messing it all up."

"I can't help it, Richy Rich. Your hair is just so soft and silky it makes me wanna sleep on it!"

Sono let out a yelp as Naoki nuzzled his golden hair, nose buried in it as he playfully snuggled into those locks. The blonds settled and sighed, letting his friend do whatever it was he was doing. Today was a good day, so he'd take exception.

It was a week before their first day of their final year in high school. Things were moving so quickly, Sono was unsure of how he had missed it all. It felt unreal.

Starting Monday, they'd not only focus on their school work, but they'd be thinking about their careers, university, travel...this school prepared them for so much. And yet it felt it was also taking things away just as quickly. Bittersweet and all that.

So it seemed perfectly reasonable that Sono called both Takeo and Naoki, saying he had a wonderful idea and wanted them to be apart of it. After explaining his thoughts, both boys were quickly on board and after a week of planning, (and getting his brother to help pay for it), they were standing at Hanamiyama Park, a camera pointed towards them with Takeo fiddling with it, trying to find the timer. He would occasionally look up to see his friend horsing around with his boyfriend, a scowl on his face every time.

"Oi, Naoki! Leave his hair alone. If he doesn't want you messing with it, stop fucking around."

Naoki smirked and backed away from the blond, hands in the air, saying,

"Ok, ok, I surrender. Geez, when did you get all defensive?"

"If you were around more often, you'd know the answer to that one. But of course, it's hard to have free time when you've got little miss high and mighty strapped to your hip everyday."

"Are you still pissed about that? C'mon, Takeo, I thought we talked about this. I like spending time with my girlfriend, but it's not going to get in the way of my friendship with you two."

"It kind of already has. If you hadn't noticed, this is our last year together. While you and miss priss were off doing whatever you cliche couples do, Sono and I have been working towards our future. And I thought we'd be together as three in this sense. You are our best friend, aren't you?"

The air was getting so thick and tense, Sono felt like he was suffocating. He hated it when these two fought; he had almost seen them fist fight before and he had to break it up before things got worse. Confrontation was something he was not used to and dealing with Takeo and Naoki when they were like this was so stressful in his own way.

He already had to deal with stress at home. He couldn't deal with it with the people he loved.

Quickly stepping in between them, noticing how Naokis playful smirk had sullied into a fierce scowl, he pressed his hands on both their chest, immediately feeling them stop and stare at him. He blushed a hot red, but his brown eyes narrowed as he said,

"Enough. Can't you two get along just this once so we can take this damn picture? I brought us out here to bond again, not get in another cat fight. Please? I don't ask for anything from either of you and all I want is something to remember us all together before any of us leave for college."

It was hard to say no to those brown eyes, Takeo thought to himself. Gods, those eyes were so beautiful, yet so infuriating with how lost he could get in them. The way they narrowed in ever so slight anger, the way they would well up with tears if pushed a bit further. The ebony haired teen reached up to grip the hand that touched his chest, his thumb rubbing the skin softly. Just his touch made the blonds eyes relax and he smiled at him, wanting to take this hand and kiss it, the way he always did. He knew better than to start fights with Naoki; for gods sakes, they were best friends. And he couldn't remember why they began fighting in the first place. It surely couldn't just be because of his new found love for sports or ever his prissy girlfriend of 4 years.

He sighed; being irritated with Naoki was no reason to ruin a good day that Sono was clearly needed after such a long time of stress and dejection. Takeo couldn't imagine that kind of stress that went on in his boyfriends home, especially with Sono in his last year of high school.

The ever clear memory of hearing his father threaten to kick him out after exams still haunted him to his core. And even after 3 years with no sign of that even happening (thank god), it still worried him about how the blond was faring. He really didn't talk about his home like anymore, mainly just about what he and his brother talk about on the daily.

That was something else as well. Takeo was more than aware that Oto was engaged...and had been for 4 years. He couldn't begin to fathom why he and his woman hadn't gotten married yet...surely Sono would have mentioned that....he made a small note to ask about that later.

With a sigh, he nodded and said,

"You're right. I'm sorry babe. I know how much this means to you...I don't know what's been going on with me lately..."

"Don't apologize to me. Apologize to Nao.", came the muffled reply. And Takeo sighed, looking up at Naoki, words getting caught in his throat and his blue eyes nearly flaring.

In the middle of his own thoughts, he didn't realize how Naoki was dealing with the middle man intervention. The teen also had his own hand on top of the blonds, absentmindedly rubbing his knuckles with his thumb, like it was the most goddamn normal thing for him to do. But it wasn't just the touch that sent his eyes burning.

It was Naoki's gaze, that's what truly set him off. For years, he had noticed the ever growing closeness of his boyfriend and his best friend. He blamed himself for that, really. His father had given him so much to do after school with the canals that Sono was usually left to his own devices. And he knew that he and Naoki spent time together; hell, had it not been for Naoki all those years ago, Sono probably wouldn't even be with them right now. The week that Naoki took care of the blond made Takeo realize quickly how much they cared for Sono as a whole.

Only, in the most recent years did Takeo start to question where that care actually was settled in. Naoki had a girlfriend, a serious one at that, so it wasn't like he was trying to move in on someone else, especially a boy. Naoki didn't swing that way. And besides, this was Sono they were talking about. Takeo had him all to himself for years before the new kid came into the picture. Takeo was surely not threatened in the slightest.

Nope....not in the slightest.

With a soft scowl, Takeo said,

"Sorry. It's been a rough week."

Naoki chuckled and removed his hand, nodding to himself and said,

"I hear that. Final year of school begins on Monday and you've spent all your time working with your dad. What's he gonna do when you graduate and leave? Hire a pool boy?"

Takeo smirked at that; damn Naoki and his offset humor. That was his weak spot and the son of a bitch knew it too.

When Sono felt the tension between them fade, he smiled and felt it acceptable to remove his hands from their chests, saying,

"Good. Now that that's clear, can we please take this photo? I want to get it in before the shop closes and after that, I'll have gifts for you later."

"Aww Rich Boy, you spoil us! And that's why we love you!"

Naoki wrapped his arms around the blonds shoulders and nuzzled his hair again, only this time, Takeo smiled and chuckled again to himself. How could he be angry when these two were so ridiculous. He couldn't stop chuckling as he went back to fiddling with the camera while the other two were horsing around behind him.

And after several minutes of fussing and trying to get into a perfect spot, the camera began its timer and the three boys got into position, Takeo on the left, Naoki on the right and the blond smack in the middle.

The camera chimed and from there, it seemed perfect.

 

\--

Hours later, when they left the photo shop to get the pictures developed, the three made their way back down the main road where Naoki lived, ready to say their good byes for the day. Once they approached the bakery, Naoki smiled and inhaled, saying with great enthusiasm,

"Smells like dad is baking chocolate brownies again! Must be ready for the back to school thing he does every year. Haha, which means I get first dibs on taste testing. Unless, you'd like to come by later and taste them with me, eh Richy Rich?"

He elbowed Sono teasingly, earning a soft laugh and a wave of his hand, saying,

"Maybe later. I'm trying not to each so much sugar lately. Though, your dads baked treats always seem to call my name during a late night study session. Maybe you can bring them by my house later when we make up plans for a small study group like last year."

"Sounds like a date."

The two of them laughed and Naoki ruffled his hair, all while Takeo looked confused and slightly suspicious. Since when did they have study groups at Sonos house? Since when was Kenji being so lenient to actually allow Sonos friend over? Wasn't the man a total ass and never allowed his son to do anything? Wasn't that the reality happening at his home?

To keep himself calm while asking what he was going to ask, Takeo exhaled a shaky breath, forcing himself to chuckle as he asked,

"Since when did you two form a study duo? And why at your house, babe? Wasn't your dad being a total bastard and taking most of your privileges away?"

Just asking that in the way he did made him slap himself, especially seeing how quickly Sonos face fell from happy to upset in a matter of a second. Internally, Takeo wanted to cut his heart out, but when Naoki stepped in, wrapping his arms around the blond, he said with a smile,

"Well, about a year ago actually. It was during our last history final and Sono called saying he had such a craving for strawberry muffins. And since everywhere else is closed at 9 pm and we had plenty of fresh stock still left over, I snuck two out and made my way to his house and dropped them off...ya know, after climbing up the window like a villain. God, he was so happy. Those usually dead brown eyes lite up like fireworks."

He once again ruffled the blond hair with a smile and once again, Takeo felt his blood boiling. But he wasn't really sure why. His friend was just explaining the reason behind the sweets...

"As for the study thing, he asked me to help him with his practice sheet, since he was getting stumped on one of the stupider trick questions. So I stayed a bit to help him out, wound up there for another 3 hours before his mom walked in and I kinda panicked saying we were forming a study group. She believed me and well, almost a year later the lie kinda became truth. I bring treats and we spend hours studying. I tried to call you to invite you over but....Sono kinda told me no. On account of what happened between you and Hanasaki-san. And besides, you always say study groups are for people who can't work problems for themselves so..you know."

God, did Takeo feel stupid. Of course it was so simple as that. And it made perfect sense why Naoki and Sono didn't really make the effort to invite him. Lord knows he probably would've said no anyway. So he thanked Naoki for making that move for him. And well, he knew how Sonos sweet tooth worked. It struck him hard at the worst moments, like in the middle of the night, so Naoki sort of became him little dealer. It was actually a little cute.

With nothing else said, Naoki said his goodbyes and waved them off as he walked inside his home while the other boys made their way down the road. The sun was setting just below the trees as they passed the bridge, with Takeo stopping midway behind the blond, causing Sono to stop and turn with a confused stare.

"Takeo? What's wrong?"

The teen almost didn't hear him. He just leaned back against the bridge railing, sighing heavy to himself and lifted his head to look at the sky, seeing how it was a beautiful orange mixed with pink. It seemed to shimmer on the water below them, the river calm and quiet, almost like his own thoughts....save for the calm part.

"Takeo?"

Sonos hand gripping his shoulder made Takeo finally look up at him, seeing those gorgeous eyes once more and he smiled, wrapping his arms around his thin waist and brought him closer, kissing his forehead.

The sudden affection made Sono blush madly, Takeos lips on his skin only worsening it. The embrace was nice, but the thought of being outside doing this made him uneasy. What if someone saw? His father would truly hate him more for that than anything if word got out that someone saw his son with another boy.

He began to struggle, but Takeo held him tighter. It only increased his nerves as he struggled more against him, only to be pulled into a tighter hug and the sound of Takeo huffing at him.

Without another word, Takeo twisted them around, pushing Sono against the rail and kissed him, hard, his tongue already working its way into the blonds almost unwilling mouth. He swallowed up his gasp and tightened his hold with one hand. The other trailed down the blonds torso, past the hem of his school blazer and down to the front of his pants, lightly cupping his groin and gently began massaging it.

As he rubbed the blonds groin, his lips left his mouth, making its way down his throat, nipping his pale skin, licking up the vein and even suckled his earlobe, even biting down hard and squeezed the blonds crotch equally as hard, growling against the blonds skin.

Millions of red flags began flashing in Sonos head the minute Takeos hand cupped him, eyes wide with shock and near fear as he struggled harder, finally pushing the boy away and gripped the rail with both hands, trying to control his breathing.

Takeo, angry that he was pushed away so easily, straightened himself and snapped out while wiping his mouth,

"What the hell, Sono? It's been 4 years and you still can't handle me touching you like that? I told you to just relax and you can't even do that? What do I have to-"

He was stopped short when he actually took a hard look at his boyfriend, not really expecting the sight before him.

Sono had fallen to his knees, still gripping the rails with both hands, now near white from the force of his grip. His eyes were wide and Takeo could see he was shaking, trembling. He had never seen him like this before. It was surreal and not in a good way.

Seeing now that his boyfriend was on the verge of a panic attack, something he hadn't had in years, Takeo panicked himself, getting closer to him on his knees, hand reaching out to touch him, spouting out questions before even thinking about them.

"Babe, are you alright? Did I scare you again? Shit...I'm so sorry. You know I don't mean to do that. I just thought...I mean....Sono, please look at me, I'm sorry."

The second his hand touched the blonds shoulder, something he was so used to doing already, it was not met with the same reaction he usually received.

With such quickness Takeo had never seen, Sono had swatted his hand away, a horrible look in his eyes, wide and full of tears...and angry. Those eyes were angry.

The shift was so quick, Takeo almost didn't catch it. Sono was so happy all day and to see him like this was scary, even for him.

The blond had swatted his hand away, getting to his feet almost as fast, crying out in near hysterics, scaring Takeo further.

"DON'T TOUCH ME! DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!"

Takeo said nothing, blue eyes wide as he watched Sono run away from him, confusion written all over his face. He seemed frozen in place, occasionally looking around and seeing no one around, thankfully.

What the hell had just happened? In the 4 years he and Sono were together, he never once saw the blond freak out as much as he did. True...Takeo knew Sonos odd fear of being touched in a certain way and he had honestly thought that after so many years together, the blond would have outgrown such a silly fear.

Clearly not. And where ever this fear had come from, it didn't help Takeos chances of getting anywhere with him. He loved Sono dearly and didn't want to do anything to hurt him. But 4 years is a long time to be patient...and, after truly thinking it over, he came to realize that kind of reaction didn't come from just a fear of being touched.

Blue eyes widened as he thought about it. That kind of reaction stemmed from something deeper, possibly deeper than Takeo ever would have thought. Did he do something to truly scar his boyfriend....his first friend?

Questioning was getting him no where. He had to find Sono and clear the air, help him see he wasn't trying to push him into something he didn't feel ready for.

Considering Naoki was out for the day, Takeo guessed the blond went home and he knew for a fact he couldn't just walk through the front door....could he?

 

\--

 

The bathroom felt hot...like, really hot. The amount of hot water the blond used to scrub his body 'clean' would cause some questions when it came time to pay the water bill. Thankfully, Kenji never really talked to his youngest son and in turn, wouldn't really want to know who was using so much water or why.

When Sono stepped out of the shower for the fourth time that night, he still couldn't shake the disgusting feeling from his skin all the way down to his nerves. Even as he wiped the steam from the mirror to look at himself, he felt like screaming at the person looking back at him.

His pale skin was now bright red from the hot stream to the unnecessary rough scrubbing with his sponge. He was sure there would be blisters later from it, but he didn't have it in his head to worry about that.

Even his face was bright red from all the scrubbing, so much so that he couldn't see the red puffiness of his eyes from sobbing in the shower.

Naked as he was, he could see the affects of the last several years that he had put his body through, the force of depression and worries had finally caught up with him and he let out a choked sob, hating the sight before him. He looked hideous, thin like a twig, ribs protruding from his chest each time he stretched up. His hips were wide, like a womans, his mothers hips....gods he hated them. He hated looking so pathetic and not like anything that was expected of him.

Each time he caught the eyes of his reflection in the mirror, all he could see was that 6 year old boy, screaming in pain as a grown man violated him with his cock, spearing hot into his tiny body, laughing the entire time.

The sight sickened him; he thought those horrid memories were long behind him now. He thought that being with Takeo and Naoki would ease the pain of that terrible night.

Apparently not. This was harder to shake than he ever imagined. And Takeo's odd display of affection only worsened those memories. Oh gods...Takeo.

Sono only doubled in on himself at the memory of his boyfriends sudden display of want. He felt even worse now than ever. Takeo had been so patient with him these last 4 years and it was now becoming obvious that his patience was waring thin. This was their last year of High School. Who knows where they would all end up after graduation. There was a slight chance Sono and Takeo would never see each other for years and clearly the teen wanted to make their last year together count.

But Sono wasn't ready...he thought he was and it was clear that he wasn't. Just Takeo touching his...his...he couldn't even think about it. It was gross and wrong and he hated everything about it. After what he went through, after the months he spent at that hospital, after everything he put himself through after, Sono decided he would never have sex. The thought of it made him want to vomit.

But...Takeo obviously wanted it. And Sono couldn't deny the boy much of anything. He loved Takeo, but was it enough to truly break him of this fear he had of physical intimacy?

He wasn't sure anymore. 4 years was a long time to wait and Sono didn't know how long Takeo was willing to hold out for him. He couldn't lose Takeo over something so stupid.

Could he?

A soft knock at his bathroom door pulled him from his thoughts, startling him as he twisted his head to the door, thinking it was Oto.

But if it was, his brother would have just walked in right after knocking....and a soft knock? Oto never once knocked on his door so softly before in his life.

Panic settled in; what if it was his father demanding to know why he was still in the shower after 2 hours? Or maybe it was his mother, coming to see if he was alright? He hoped for the latter.

Pulling his bathrobe off the door, he slipped it on and tied it tight, ignoring how odd it felt on his tingling skin and opened the bathroom door, steam wafting like a sauna. Though, he thought it was the steam that was playing tricks with his eyes.

Because it looked like Takeo standing in front of him right now, not his family. He had to blink a few times just to be sure he wasn't seeing things.

As the steam cleared, so did his vision. Sure enough, it was Takeo standing in front of him, dressed in a black t-shirt, black sweat pants and his sneakers. Those blue eyes looked so concerned and yet so inquisitive all at once. Sono didn't know which looked he preferred more.

"T..Takeo...what are you doing here? How did you get up here? Did-"

The teen raised his hand to quiet the boy and Sono closed his mouth tight, ignoring the pounding in his chest, mainly from nerves. So many questions piled into his brain and he really didn't know where to start again. But thankfully, Takeo spoke for him, a gentle but stern tone in his voice.

"I think we need to talk."

That line was something not unfamiliar to the blond at all. But he never heard it said so softly and yet with such hurt and possible confusion. He nodded slowly, walking over to his bed and sat down, both hands keeping hold on the flaps of his robe, so Takeo couldn't see his naked chest. He felt stupid just doing that. Takeo was his boyfriend, so who cared if he saw his naked anything, right?

Sono felt even more stupid for just thinking that. Even as he watched Takeo sit next to him, he felt his heart racing under his ribcage. He felt even more nervous being dressed in just a robe. At first, he wanted to change clothes so he was more comfortable. But Takeo looked serious, more serious than he had ever seen him before. So, he kept quiet and allowed the teen to speak.

He wasn't really expecting the question that came out of Takeos mouth. But then, it wasn't really a question either. It was more like...a demand for an explanation.

"You wanna tell me what happened on the bridge today?"

And just like that, millions of thoughts raced through the blonds head all at once. He gripped his robe tighter, trying to calm his breathing, not knowing how to answer that.

As a rule between every member of their family, they were forbidden to discuss what happened to Sono all those years ago. In truth, it was probably the worst idea ever conceived. Not talking about it only made the thoughts in his head go absolutely wild. Every day since that day was him always looking over his shoulder, taking pills to not freak out (at least until Naoki showed up), trying to stay out of peoples way.

And ever since his father caught him and Takeo and made it horribly clear how against it he was, Sono was...not in the best mindset. Not in the slightest. Even when he was out with his friends, he felt like he was always being watched. That somewhere, Chino was looking for him or someone like him to play with. The idea that some poor child could be going through what Sono had gone through made him sick to his stomach and want to scream. And he could have. But with Takeo eyeing him, demanding an answer, he didn't know what to say.

He wanted to badly to talk about what happened to him. He CRAVED to let someone in enough, trust them enough to cry about all he went through, the things he had to hold back because of his families reputation...and it wasn't like he didn't trust Takeo...it was just...difficult. Plus, the the way Takeo went about his needs and how patient he was being over the years was something that put a hold in the blonds head. He had been lying to him for several years. What was the harm in a few more. He'd tell him eventually.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Takeo. I really am. I don't know what came over me today. I guess....you took me by surprise and...well, you know how I feel about doing things in public."

"This isn't about being in public, Sono. That I can understand. It's how you reacted that's got me worried. Shit, you acted as though I whipped you or something. The last time I saw you freak out like that was....damn....when we were in 6th grade. You freaked out so bad because a nurse was giving you a check up and you ended up falling down the school stairs....I remember your dad was pissed at the school...but never said why. I don't even think you've told me why....is there something you need to tell me, Sono? Cause I can't read your mind even if I'd like to. It's been years...10 years since we've known each other...I thought by now you would have learned to trust me-"

"Takeo...it's not that I don't trust you, it's just...I don't know what happened. I guess....something must have triggered me today...set me into a panic and caused a pretty rough episode..I guess it just came from nothing...maybe I need to go back on my pills again..."

Not that he really needed them, but anything that wiped the judging look on Takeos face would be enough for him. And while the boy didn't look like he was judging too terribly hard, he did have a look of sympathetic worry.

"You're almost 18. You can't depend on those things forever."

"I know...but maybe...for our last year...it'll help. You and Naoki are always so busy and there are going to be times I'm not near you both. My anxiety will only get worse at that point...it always has. Maybe it's for the best."

There was a tense pause between them and Sono refused to look at the boy, afraid of the hurtful or judgmental look he'd see. Staring at his bed post, he gripped his robe tighter, almost knuckle white and trembling.

Eventually, he heard a soft sigh and Takeo asked him as gently as he could,

"Are you...sure that's what you want?"

With a heavy sigh of his own and a small nod, Sono looked into his eyes, trying so hard to keep calm through this whole thing. He didn't think his pills would help after years of not taking them, but if it got Takeo to stop looking for answers, then so be it.

He wasn't ready to tell him about it just yet. He could wait a bit longer...maybe after graduation.

Takeo sighed in return, nodding as if accepting what he heard and said,

"Ok...I still have the ones you had me hold onto since middle school...you think they're still good?"

"They better be. I'm not about to ask my parents to reinstate my prescription. They didn't even know I stopped taking them. They assumed I was getting them refilled myself..."

Again, Takeo nodded and set his hand on Sonos shoulder, feeling him tense a little, but ignored it. He stared into those dark brown eyes and smiled, saying,

"You know I wasn't trying to push you, right? It's just...I thought after 4 years...you would've been used to me by now. I guess I was wrong, huh?"

The way his blue eyes softened and looked so defeated, it really touched Sonos heart to know Takeo cared this much. He was still reeling in the fact that he couldn't handle the kind of touches his boyfriend wanted to give (and more than likely receive), but...he was willing to push aside his own fears for a bit, just to try.

Taking the teens hand in his, he moved it and pressed it against his naked chest through the flap of his robe, immediately feeling dirty and sickened by it, but sucked it down to give Takeo a fraction of what he wanted. He heard the teen inhale quickly, not expecting such a bold move, blue eyes wide at him for a moment.

Sonos own eyes were closed tight, trying to force down his own nerves and urge to vomit, but once he felt like he could calm himself down, he opened his eyes and said,

"Give me time, Takeo. There's things in my head I need to focus on first...but I promise...one day, I'll be ok enough for us to take that next step. I love you...and I hope you still love me."

His skin felt hot, really hot, Takeo noticed. Like the shower he took was scalding...or it could be his own hand that felt hot against such soft skin. He wasn't expecting such a bold move from the blond, but he had to admit, it felt nice. He moved his hand gently over such smooth, pale skin and trailed that hand up to Sonos neck, then to his cheek, pulling him closer and kissed him softly, feeling how the blond relaxed in his hold.

The kiss was short and when he pulled back, he whispered,

"Nothing is ever going to make me stop loving you. And I mean that. No matter what happens. We could be a million miles apart and never see each other again...I'd still only have eyes for you."

The look in those brown eyes made Takeo's heart melt as he leaned in for another kiss, pushing the blond back on his bed, hovering over him as they kissed, his tongue slowly moving into Sonos open mouth, this time, accepting it and even moved his own tongue to the other boys mouth. Takeo smiled in their kiss, happy that Sono was at least open enough to make out with him like this. He was usually so damn reserved, so it was great for his walls to come down, if only a little bit.

It was a risky move, kissing like this in the blonds room, especially since anyone could walk in at any time. On his walk here, he noticed both cars were there, being Kenjis and Otos. So he was careful when climbing up the wall to the blonds room and seeing it so dark, save for the bathroom light. He was happy he decided to wait as long as he did.

Otherwise, this breakthrough could have come a lot later and he wasn't willing to wait too terribly long.

After a while, Takeo felt like it was time for him to go. Between the kissing and the 20 minute cuddle he and Sono just shared, staying any longer would become dangerous. After giving his love another kiss through the window, he began his climb down and took off after confirming no one caught him. Sono leaned against his window, running his fingers through his hair, no longer feeling tingly and warm.

Now, he just felt cold and slightly unnerved. And he wasn't really sure why.

 

\--

 

The weekend was over and their last year of high school was just beginning. Students piled around the gates, upper class men excited over their last year and talks of what to do after graduation spiraled all over the grounds.

By the entrance, Naoki leaned against the wall, reading one of his film books, ignoring the other students behind him. Upperclassmen that were set to graduate were scheduled the first day before everyone else to receive their club packets for first picks, something every student was excited for. The bell didn't go off until 8 and it was 6:56 now. Plenty of time.

"Naoki-kun! There you are!"

Looking up from his book, Naoki gave a small smile at the sight of his girlfriend, Ami, running towards him, her best friend Mirai in tow. He closed his book and opened his arms for her to jump into, kissing her head and bidded her a good morning.

"It IS a good morning, isn't it. First day of the last year we ever have to see this place. Haha, aren't you excited?"

"Yeah, I am. Just tired. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night. Ha, my dad kept me up late doing stock inventory and it was like 3 am before I went to sleep. Only slept for 2 hours. But other than that, I feel fine."

Ami smiled at him and nodded, turning her attention to Mirai for a moment while Naoki collected his thoughts. It wasn't totally a lie. He was up later than usual doing inventory with his dad, but it was the late night text session he had with Takeo that kept him up before crashing at 3.

It wouldn't be totally out of the ordinary for them to text so late, but this...this seemed out of place for the ebony haired teen. The way Takeo was talking told Naoki that something was wrong. And when it wasn't in texts, it showed clearly when they met up.

The last he saw the teen was yesterday afternoon, just before 3 pm. They had been going over their new schedules and Takeo seemed annoyed that Naoki and Sono were in the same homeroom and he was in a different one altogether. Maybe annoyed wasn't the right word.

Angry seemed more proper. Naoki could feel how cold his aura was and decided to not brag about the fact he had a homeroom all year with his best friend. Internally, he was excited and maybe just the slip of his glee was enough to make Takeo angry, either with him or just in general.

Naoki had to admit to himself later that night while doing stock that Takeo was behaving so differently than he recalled years ago. Even as he checked off things on the clipboard, his head wasn't really all focused. All he could think about was Takeo and how...weird he was being.

He was acting so vexed lately, like everything little thing was setting him off. But he never would've caught onto that when they were with their favorite blond. With Sono, Takeo was a loving person, joking around and a pleasant person altogether. But...Naoki noticed that when the blond wasn't around, Takeo had a tendency to get aggressive easily, never with Naoki (so he thought at least) but with other people in general. And yes, they had their little fist fights here and there, but Sono was usually always there to break it up. When Naoki was alone with Takeo, it seemed like there was something bigger going on. Like something was bothering him deep down.

He'd ask about it today, provided they found time to be alone without Sono around. The blond didn't need that worry on his plate right now.

Ignoring his girlfriend for a moment, he peered up to the gates and his eyes caught sight of that wild black hair, quickly straightening up and moved away from the wall. It did not go unnoticed.

"Naoki? Where are you going?"

"I just saw Takeo and I need to ask him something important. Go on in without me. I'll find you at lunch."

He didn't bother waiting for a response from her as he walked towards the gate, not seeing how she huffed and turned on her angry heel, her friend following closely.

As he got to the gates, he watched as Takeo moved slowly towards him, almost not seeing him as he walked right by him, blue eyes glued to the dirt. At first, Naoki was confused as to why Takeo walked by him like he didn't even see him, but the feeling he got as the boy walked by...it chilled him a little bit.

He froze in his spot for a moment, not sure how to comprehend the feeling he just got from his best friend. Cold, unfeeling, kind spooky honestly.

"The hell was...h-hey! Takeo! Wait up!"

Naoki quickly turned on his feet to follow his friend, grabbing his shoulder to turn him around, only to step back a second as he saw the dark purple bruise around Takeos left eye. It was jaw dropping, that's for sure. And maybe that would explain the dark chill he got when Takeo walked by.

"Christ, what happened to you?"

"...."

"Takeo, talk to me, man. You sounded really upset last night and I could barely sleep thinking about it....was this what you were talking about? The argument with your-"

"Don't tell Sono...please. I don't want him to worry about me."

Naoki gulped to himself; now, all of last nights texts were making so much more sense.

At midnight, Takeo texted him as he was laying in bed, telling him he had just gotten into a disagreement with his own father...about Sono. He wouldn't go into great detail as to what the argument entailed, but from the look on Takeos face (and the black eye), it didn't end well at all.

Naoki felt confused. He didn't realize....shit, he didn't know what he didn't realize. He felt so out of the loop. He was surprised when Takeo texted him about it and now he understood why.

"I promise...I won't say a word...shit, I'm sorry, Takeo. I feel like such a shitty friend right now."

"Heh, don't. You didn't do anything. At least you have a supportive dad..."

"Don't sound like an asshole. And here I thought Sono was the one with the most problems...shit...do we need to tell someone? I mean, I can call the pol-"

If it hadn't been for the fact the Naoki knew how to protect his head, thanks to sports, he would have suffered a slight concussion by hitting the brick wall of the school when Takeo roughly pushed him against it, blocking him in and giving him the darkest glare he had ever seen. Those blue eyes were black, accentuated by the purple bruise and damn, and Takeo actually snarled at him.

"You'll do shit. You're not telling anyone about any of this. Especially Sono. So help me, if he finds out what I did, he'll go ballistic on me. I can't let that happen. You are not going to ruin my chances here, Nazawa, do you hear me?"

There was no amount of snark or wit that Naoki could drum up on the spot to get out of this...whatever this was. His brown eyes were wide at the level of rage coursing from Takeo's body, the look in those eyes almost scared him a little. He knew Takeo had gotten a little aggressive in the last few years...but nothing like this.

Then, like a light bulb in his head, something Takeo said made Naoki gasp to himself, almost not sure if he actually heard him say it.

"Takeo...what did you do?"

The boy said nothing, but gave an angry sigh and let his best friend go, heaving deep breaths and said,

"Just promise me that you won't tell anyone. You're my best friend, Naoki. And Sono is the love of my life. I can't bear to lose both of you. Promise me."

"Takeo, you're really freaking me out, man. Just calm down and tell-"

"Promise me!"

"Ok ok! Chill out...I won't tell anyone...for gods sakes, I don't even know what it is I'm not telling people, but ok, I'll keep quiet."

Takeo seemed to calm down from that, if his exhale of relief was anything to go by. But the hug that followed was a bit...out of Takeos character. He wrapped his arms around Naokis middle, pressing his face into his chest and the taller boy flushed wildly, his tan cheeks pink as he looked around, not really feeling a need to break his friend off.

He was 100% ok with Sono hugging him like this; it came naturally. He loved the blond and wasn't going to turn him away. But Takeo? This just felt weird. He didn't know how to respond to something like this.

"Hey..um...I usually reserve this question for Rich Boy, but given the circumstances...Takeo...are you feeling alright?"

Takeo said nothing but hugged him tighter. Naoki felt uncomfortable with not knowing what to say to his own best friend, but when Takeo broke the hug to look at Naoki, the teen could see something dark behind those blue orbs.

Something...kinda sinister.

He didn't get much time to think it through though. The sound of Sono calling for them by the gate ended their conversation quickly.

\--

 

11:45....this day was dragging. Naoki blew some stray hair from his face as he stared out the window, tuning out the sound of his teacher and kept his eyes outside. He could see the cheerleaders training outside, already catching sight of Ami with her striking blond hair. But he didn't actually seem all interested in her at the moment. To be honest, with it only being the first day, he was already bored out of his skull.

He watched for a moment as the girls practiced their first new cheers, thinking he saw her eyes catch his, but he rolled them in response. His girlfriend, oddly enough, was the last thing on his mind right now...he couldn't stop thinking about Takeo and how odd he was being. So aggressive and...easily pushed, when back then, he never let things get to him.

It made him wonder how Takeo was treating Sono when they were alone...he knew Takeo loved the blond dearly, that wasn't new. But...the ebony haired teen did say that he and Sono talked recently after some sort of episode the blond had. Naoki didn't even think to ask about what they talked about. His first thought was if his best friend was alright.

He knew that when Sono had panic attacks or an anxiety episode, it could get ugly if one of them wasn't there to help him. And from the way Takeo was talking about it, it sounded like the blond had to deal with it himself...after exploding apparently.

Naoki didn't get much detail out of Takeo about it. But it still concerned him. He cared about Sono a lot and was a little crushed to think that the blond didn't think to text him whilst he was having an episode.

Then again, maybe this was his way of telling them he didn't need them to help him through this anymore, at least for now. This was just one day. There were plenty more until he had the confidence to handle it himself. And he would. Sono was strong in his own right; it's one of the reasons Naoki got along with him so well.

But Takeo was another story, it seemed. And he wasn't too sure how he'd handle it when Sono would eventaully tell him he didn't need his constant support anymore. The blond would have to grow on his own and Takeo was going to have to deal with it.

But after years of taking care of the younger of the three, Naoki wasn't sure Takeo was going to...handle the blonds independence once it sprouted. He might start to get angry with him...no, no that was stupid. Takeo would never do something so terrible to hurt his love. Could he?

A golden glow caught his attention and he gripped the locket dangling from his neck, pressing his lips against it without being seen.

When Sono showed up to school that morning, he was excited and absolutely bubbly, holding a small box in his hand, already tearing into it as he ran up to the boys, only stopping when he saw Takeos eye, concern slapped all over his face. They went back and forth for a bit before Takeos glare told him to stop, so Sono opened the box and fished out something neither boy expected.

3 golden lockets. Each of them engraved with their names in Kanji on the back. Inside the locket was the picture they took last weekend, fitted wonderfully and with a beautiful golden trim. Takeo was shocked and elated all at once, slipping it on and kissed Sono on the lips so quick, the poor blond almost fell backwards, eyes wide with a little fear, but giddiness. Though, they fear was not lost on Naoki as he looked at the present.

The golden shimmer matched Sonos hair and he smiled at the thought, slipping the locket over his head, loving the fit, watching how Takeo helped Sono put his own. A little tribute to their friendship...fitting. Truly fitting.

Shaking his head for a moment, he felt something jab into his shoulder, turing his head a little to see Sono smiling at him, pen in his hand and a note following. Naoki took it, no words exchanged, opened it and he chuckled to himself.

_Stop daydreaming. It's only day one. We have 239 to go._

He turned his head and stuck his tongue out at Sono, who chuckled at him as the bell rang for lunch, students piling out of the classroom while others stayed behind and pulled out their bentos with friends.

Once they had a moment to themselves, Naoki turned in his chair and faced his friend, who smiled at him and said,

"Awake now?"

"Ahh you have no idea how happy I am to have you in my class, Rich Boy. How could I ever focus without you?"

"Oh shut up. Did you bring your bento?"

"Yeah I did...I was gonna eat with Ami and her friends, but I don't think I want to anymore. At least not today. Kinda want to spend time with you. I'm sorry I've been so neglectful over the last few years."

"Don't worry about it, Nao. I'm not heart broken over it. Just being in your homeroom for our last year together makes up for it."

"Aww you make me blush. I thought that was my job."

Naoki chuckled and tapped his friends nose with his pencil, causing Sono to flush like a strawberry, melting the teens heart. God his friend was too cute.

After a while, Sono calmed down enough to pull out his phone, mumbling,

"I wonder where Takeo is. I told him where our homeroom was; he should've been here by now."

"Maybe he went to the nurse to get his eye looked at."

"Can you explain to me again how he got that? He said he got into a fight with some neighbors, but you looked hesitant to agree. Is that really what happened?"

Naoki inhaled slowly, unsure of how to answer that question. Takeo made it very clear he didn't want Sono knowing the truth...whatever that truth was. He still didn't know anything about what he was keeping secret from their friend. But before he could answer, the sliding door to their classroom opened, with Takeo walking in, sulking towards them, not oblivious to the eyes of some of the girls on him as he walked to his friends.

Though, he didn't pull up a chair, nor did he have his school bag on him. He acknowledged Sono with a smile and a pat to the head, but turned his attention to Naoki, saying,

"Can we...talk in private? It'll just take a second."

Huh...that was curious. Naoki looked to Sono for a moment, who nodded, albeit confused as well, and soon, Naoki was up and following Takeo out the door, sliding it shut and they made their way down the large hallway, passing fellow students and eventually, ended up to the door that led to the school roof.

Naoki felt even more confused by his friends behaviour, even more when they reached the ledge and Takeo stood with his back turned to him, shivering a little.

The teen could take no more of this.

"Are you going to tell me what the hell is the matter with you? You told me to keep this a secret from Sono, but exactly is it I'm keeping from him? You've told me nothing. You're being so cryptic lately and it's starting to piss me off."

It was quiet for a moment, just a quick moment, before Takeo turned around to face him, eyes full of guilt that Naoki was almost thrown backwards by it. It shocked him a bit more when Takeo started trembling and saying,

"I think...I think I'm starting to lose my mind, Nao."

"Excuse me?"

"I...I think I messed things up this weekend royally. I told you what happened between me and Sono and yeah, we...we talked that same night and things seemed to be fine, but he didn't...I mean...Naoki...I think he's hiding something from me...from us."

This took an absolute different direction then Naoki was thinking about. At first he was positive Takeo wanted to discuss the fight he had with his dad.

But to hear him actually vent about Sono? This was uncharted territory for both of them. As an unspoken rule, they never brought up their friends home life, his stresses, his anything that would potentially upset him.

To think that Sono was hiding something from them seemed too ludicrous. The kid told them everything. Naoki could only scoff.

"Is that all? Jesus, you had me thinking this was serious. C'mon, Takeo, what's really-"

Takeo turned around suddenly, flinging his arm in one direction, blue eyes ablaze as he glared daggers at Naoki, who actually took a step back from the impact of his words.

"This IS serious! He's keeping something from me. I know he is. I had my suspicions when he freaked out on me. He told me it was just a random episode, but that makes no sense. Why would he have such an unprovoked panic attack like that? I mean, yeah I didn't help matters by basically molesting him in public, but shit I thought we were passed all that fear. I thought we were ready. I sure as hell am but he's so...closed off. I can tell he hates it when I touch him and I'm so....pissed off that he can't tell me why!"

This was ridiculous. Naoki certainly didn't enjoy seeing his friend so upset, but the fact that he was upset over something so idiotic was baffling. Sighing to himself, he made his way closer to Takeo, the golden light of his locket hitting the pale teens face every so often. His own locket made the same effect on Naokis tan skin, but the taller boy said nothing of it. Instead, he said with a tone he could only describe as paternal,

"I think you need to calm down for a second. Listen, Sono's complicated. We both know this. That guy has so much shit going on in his life that the only thing he asks of us is comfort and anything else our friendship offers him. We try our hardest to make sure he doesn't slip into another panic attack or worse...these things are bound to hit him harder now that he's got more on his mind. And me personally....I think Sono has too much going on to be worried about keeping secrets from you or me."

Somewhere along their rants, Naoki had pressed his hands on Takeo's shoulders, forcing him to look into his eyes, narrow and stern, but the taller teen could not help but admit to feeling a little rattled looking into those deep blue pits. There was still a sense of doubt in him that Naoki couldn't place. But he remained firm and shook his friend a little, saying,

"Whatever you're thinking, it's not true. Sono loves you and wouldn't dream of keeping something from you...or me...and I care about him too, Takeo. And even if he was hiding something, don't think that it just affects you. He's my best friend. Don't think I wouldn't feel a little hurt if I knew for a second he was hiding things from us."

Those pits suddenly darkened and Naoki loosened his grip on his shoulders, feeling like Takeo was ready to pounce. His blue eyes narrowed, anger radiating off his form as he asked,

"You....you wouldn't leave him then? If you knew he was hiding anything?"

How insulting...Naoki actually had to double back for a moment just to think about what was just said. In an instant, he grew angry. More angry than he ever felt in his life.

"Leave him? Are you out of your damn mind? Takeo, where is all this coming from? You two are the most adorable guy couple I've ever bared witness to. You two were each others first friend. You grew up together...how could you even think of leaving him, especially now...I mean for gods sakes, three days ago, you were all over him, kissing and hugging, all that romantic shit. Hell, this morning you attacked him with a kiss after he gave you this locket. Now, because of one attack in like 4 years, you're ready to just jump ship?"

Something sour hit the back of Naokis throat and he could tell he was digging himself further into a hole. He knew he was in too deep the second he mentioned this morning. And now, Takeo glared back at him, presumably with the same sour taste in his mouth, spitting out,

"Well you tell me then. How would you feel if Ami kept something from you? Something that made you form a dark feeling in your gut. Would you be so forgiving? Would you really want to keep trusting her when she probably doesn't trust you?"

God, the effort Naoki had to not punch his friend in the face was impressive; his mother would be proud. But Takeo was making it so difficult with the way he was talking. He still had no idea where all of this was coming from, but it was clearly bothering Takeo so much that he had the nerve to bring up Naoki and Amis relationship...which was already something Naoki thought about somewhat. Not that he'd admit it.

With a sigh, Naoki released his friends arms, saying,

"I don't know. If she was keeping something from me, I....I'd understand if she didn't want to tell me if she felt I couldn't handle it. I trust her to make that judgement...I'm not going to force her to talk if she didn't want to. But the same applies to you and Sono. If he doesn't want to talk about it, if there even is an IT, don't push him. It'll only make things harder on you. You need to trust him to make choices for himself. The only person who knows what best for Sono is Sono himself. You need to stop hovering over him all the time. That's probably why he freaked out. You've been latched at his hip for years and maybe he's starting to realize he needs space. He probably feels smothered by you."

The look on Takeos face would have been comical had it not been contorted in confusion and ridicule.

"Space? Smothering him? Is that what you think I'm doing? I'm trying to protect him, Naoki! I thought you knew that! I thought that's what you were doing too!"

Now this was getting too far. Naoki had to stop this before it got worse and they both said something they regretted. But by god, he was sick to death of Takeo acting like a mother hen. It was ridiculous. It was insulting.

It was painful.

"I am protecting him, you idiot! But I'm not going to hover him like some damn helicopter. He's a person and he needs to do things for himself. If Sono's going to have any confidance in himself, he needs to learn to BE by himself. He can't have us around all the time...and deep down, he knows that. He knows he needs to start being with himself every now and then. And this time around, it's critical. We're in our senior year, Takeo. If you keep this up, he's not going to be able to do anything for himself except his art. And you know that comes first in his life..not me, not you...well, family aside anyway."

"You think it's so easy, don't you. You think I can just up and abandon him when he needs me! You didn't hear what his father said to him all that time ago! You weren't the one who had to deal with being in the same room as-"

Naoki stopped with by pushing him a little, eyes sharp and tone even sharper,

"Yes, but as I recall, I was the one who spent a week with him, making sure he ate, making sure he slept, making sure he bathed. I was the one who took care of him, I was his shoulder to cry on when he woke up from a nightmare. I was the one who had to ignore his own girlfriend for the sake of his best friend, who was more than likely near suicidal by that point! I was the one who sacrificed my own personal life to help him get through this crisis. For gods sakes, I was the middle man between him and his mom! You know how stressful that is? But I did it for him. You're not the only one who cares about him, Takeo. And there's more than one way to show someone you care...and it's not by smothering them."

For a moment, no one else said anything. Naoki was breathing heavily from his speech, almost trembling with how his heart was pumping in his chest just talking about the blond like this. He meant every word. He cared deeply for his best friend, would do anything for him, even give him space should he ask for it. And he would drill this into Takeo's head even if it killed him.

Takeo, meanwhile, stood flabbergasted by the way his friend spoke, pale hand pressed against his hair, putting it all together. All this yelling, all this fighting...it was giving him a splitting headache. Not only that, his vision was starting to tunnel. Like, it was getting darker, and yet he saw red all at the same time. He locked onto Naoki, who gave him a dark glare, trying not to get into a defensive crouch in case Takeo attacked him.

The teen did nothing like that. Instead, he straightened his back, dug into his jacket pocket and pulled out a container, tossing it to Naoki, who caught it and looked it over, eyes widening a touch. He snapped his head back to Takeo, whose gaze was glassy, as if he was shaken over their talk. He didn't say much as he staggered past the teen, only mumbling,

"Give those to him when you see him. And...tell him we'll talk later."

Takeo said nothing more as he walked back to the door to the roof, stumbling a bit as he slammed it shut behind him, leaving Naoki holding onto the container of pills close to his heart, which was still pounding like wild., replaying all he had said in his head and felt sweaty all of a sudden.

Where did all that come from? Naoki had best friends back when he lived in Kyoto, but none of them ever came close to how Sono and Takeo made him feel. He felt like he would lay his life for them and this fight with Takeo...it scared him a little. He could feel the entire chemistry of their friendship changing with just a few words and he didn't how bad the extent was. He didn't want it to change, but the way Takeo was acting in regards to letting Sono be alone was unsettling, as if he couldn't handle the idea. He seemed terribly territorial and that alone scared Naoki more.

Takeo was changing. There was something bigger going on with him and it couldn't just be his accusations of Sono hiding things from him. Clearly, it was the other way around. Takeo was the one hiding something from them and even made Naoki keep it a secret when he didn't even know what it was.

Not only that, something he had said to Takeo struck him in his heartstrings, unaware of how...great he felt as he said it.

He mentioned how he willingly gave up time with Ami to tend to Sono during his stressful period after his father hurt him. He remembered how angry she was with him, accusing him of caring more for Sono than for her. And really, she wasn't wrong. Naoki put Sono first in a lot of respects. It had been that way when Takeo first talked about him upon their first meeting in middle school. He recalled his father gushing about the two boys and wanted to know up close how they really were.

Now he did and now he felt stuck. Stuck where, he'd have to figure out later.

The sound of the bell ringing drew him from his thoughts and almost dropped the pill bottle, turning on his heel to run back to his classroom. He made it with barely a minute to spare, heaving for breath as he slunk in his seat, listening to Sono crack jokes about him being an athlete and acting like he was out of shape. Naoki chuckled at that, turning in his chair and poked his friends forehead with a smile before turning serious and handed the blond his pills. Sonos smiled dropped instantly, brown eyes wide to his friend, who only said,

"He said he'll talk to you later. And...Sono...whatever he tells you, think for yourself for once. You'll know what I mean."

He turned back in his seat as the teacher walked in, students standing to bow, taking their seats again and began their introduction to their math courses.

The whole time, Sono had a questionable look on his face, staring at the back of Naokis head, confused and a little nervous.

 

\--

How in the world did feel so early and yet it was so late in the afternoon?

Naoki groaned to himself, leaning against the school gate, hanging around Ami and her friends as they giggled about their first practice of the year. He smiled to himself, internally excited for when he'd jump back to basketball in a weeks time. He felt like he had gotten rusty through the summer and really was pushing for point gaurd once again. That and he had put in his papers for the film club, deciding on studying movies in his downtime. He overheard Ami deciding on physical art, like clothing, like her mother and grandmother, gushing about how happy she was that this school offered such amazing club choices for the senior class.

Naoki had to admit; he was certainly glad he chose this school and was happy he stuck it out all the way through. He had Sono to thank for that. If the blond was not such an awesome friend, Naoki would've gone elsewhere, not really thinking about it.

Speaking of such, Naoki looked up once again to see Takeo and Sono talking on the other side of the school. He had been watching them for a while now, seeing how their body language looked and how even with his back turned to him, Takeo looked deflated. The blond though looked shocked and a little crushed. His eyes would widen every so often and he would look away for a second before looking back at Takeo.

Naoki could see that Takeo had changed out of his school uniform and into something casual, which was highly against the rules, but then, after the fight they had earlier that day, Takeo was anything less than predictable. He seemed unstable and didn't want to cross him more than he already did.

What surprised him is when he watched Takeo press a soft kiss to the blonds hair, seeing how it took all of Sonos will power to not break down into tears. It was starting to worry Naoki more than he thought.

Then he watched Sono nod at him, he could sort of read his lips as he said,

 

' _If that's what you want, I understand.'_

 

The look in his eyes betrayed that and Naoki felt like running over there, breaking them apart and hugging the blond to his chest, not wanting to see him cry again. He instead watched as Takeo pressed his own hand to his eyes, turning the other way and walked off, leaving the blond standing there, rubbing his arm and biting back tears.

So many thoughts ran through Naokis head. Did Takeo confront Sono about his suspicions? Did they have their first fight about it? Were they calm about it? Did Sono open up?

Fuck, the suspense was eating at him.

"Naoki-kun, are you coming with?"

A jolt to his senses as Mirai lightly smacked his arm, shaking his head as he made a confused sound, which made Ami chuckle and wrap her arm around his, saying,

"We were thinking of heading to the park today, kinda laze the day away before we really have to buckle down. Did you wanna come?"

Gods, she was pretty. The way she batted her brown eyes at him, it made him want to say yes...but then, as he stared into her eyes, all could he see was his best friend sitting at the school bench, head in his hands, not moving a muscle.

He wanted to spend time with his girlfriend, he truly did. But he wouldn't be able to fully enjoy her company if he spent it worrying about his best friend.

Without looking at her, he patted her arm and said in a daze,

"Maybe some other time. Call me later."

His legs moved for him as he walked past her and her friends, all wide eyed as he walked to the other end of the lot, up to the one person Ami was convinced was pulling Naoki away from her on purpose. She clearly felt angry, hurt and a little betrayed. Her boyfriend was always pushing her aside for Hanasaki and while she knew they were friends, it was starting to get old quick.

Huffing to herself, she walked off with Mirai and their friends in tow, not looking back.

When Naoki finally made his way to his friend, calling his name, he was a little crushed to see his best friend looking so upset. In his hands was the golden locket, open, showing off the picture from the last weekend, a reminder of the good day they seemingly had. Without thinking, Naoki gripped his locket in return, pressing it to his lips while still keeping eye contact with Sono, whose brown orbs looked red.

After a moment of silence, Naoki asked,

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He was expecting a no, the shake of a head, anything in those regards. But Sono stood slowly, reaching up to close his locket, rubbing it with his thumb, looking up at Naoki, who looked back at him with those soft brown eyes. It was comforting and it was all it took for Sono to hug his friend tight, face buried in his chest, soft tears wetting his jacket.

This is what he was used to. He was used to the blonds hugs and after Takeos odd day, Naoki was happy for some familiarity. Running his hand through the blond fluff of hair, rubbing his back with the other, he whispered,

"Let me take you home. We'll talk on the way."

Sono nodded, not saying anything. Naoki found he was ok with the silence. He also found that was ok with escorting his friend home even if it meant he had to give up another day with Ami to tend to his friend.

Suprisingly, he found he was more than ok with that too.

 


	13. Chapter 13

_"What are you saying? You want to...I mean...what's happening right now?"_

_"What is happening is that you're breaking up with me. That's what you need to do. I've thought about this all day and I realize that...I'm not...I mean...I need to do some thinking and I can't be around you for it."_

_"But I don't understand! We just got through promising a future for each other! Takeo, don't do this. Don't make me do this."_

_"Trust me...I don't want to do this either. But after 6 years, I think it's what needs to happen. Clearly, I'm pressuring you into something you don't want and I don't want to end up hurting you."_

_"But you-"_

_"I am. I should have noticed it the second you flipped out on me at the bridge. And I'm sorry. I still love you. But I need you to be the one to end things between us. Because if I do it, I'll only make things harder for you. So say it. Tell me you're breaking up with me."_

_"No! I don't want to end this, Takeo! Tell me what I can do to fix this! I can...we...I'll do better. I'll do more with you, I promise. I can swallow my nerves for you. I-"_

_"I can't ask you to do that if you're not ready. Sono, it's going to hurt. I know it will. I'm going to feel it too. But I need you to understand that I feel this is what's best for us. I need time to think and you need time to yourself...I can't hover over you all the time...Naoki was right...you need space from me and this is the only was for us to really understand what we want out of each other...I'll wait as long as it takes...do you understand?"_

_"I...if that's what you want..I understand..."_

 

\--

 

Bless Naoki for walking him home that day. If Sono had been by himself, there was a chance he would have walked into oncoming traffic.

The tears had stopped halfway down the road, Naokis calm voice explaining what he and Takeo talked about earlier that day still rang in his head. Sono should have felt some sort of anger towards his friend for meddling in something that wasn't his business, that his and Takeos relationship was out of Naokis expertiees.

He wasn't angry in the slightest because he knew deep down how true it was. Takeo was always with him, always hovering over his head, always by his side and Sono had originally thought that's how relationships were supposed to be. The idea of being always with the person you loved so much.

But Sono also knew there had to be space invovled, something he wanted for a long time but was too afraid to tell Takeo anything about it. The blond enjoyed Takeo with him, that was no lie, but Sono knew as well that if they didn't have their time apart from each other, it could lead to issues, issues that Naoki took it upon himself to address for him...there were no words Sono could say to thank his best friend for that.

Once they had made it to the blonds house, Naoki had asked if the blond wanted him to come inside, just to give him some comfort, but Sono said no, that he needed to be alone for a bit and that he'd call him later if he needed a shoulder. The older teen had nodded, walked the blond into his house and hugged him, hoping that he'd feel better. Then he left and Sono was left alone in his large house, school bag tight in his fist as he made his way up the stairs to his room, throwing his bag against his closet door as he shut his bedroom door behind him, finally letting out a heart crushing scream, throwing himself on his bed and screamed into his pillow until his throat was numb.

He wasn't sure how long he had been in bed for, considering his mother was knocking on the door at 6 in the evening, telling him that Naoki had called, to see if he was ok.

Then she asked what that meant and Sono let her in his room, brown eyes red and puffy as he told her everything, new tears growing as he replayed everything Takeo had said to him at school. Naomi had to stop him once he started sobbing, hugging her son to her chest, rubbing his head and told him everything was going to be ok, kissing his messy locks and pulled him into her lap, something she hadn't done in years. He rested his head against her neck, apologizing for acting like a baby when he was almost 18. Naomi chuckled and kissed his cheek, whispering that he would always be her baby, no matter how old he got.

They talked for hours about how Sono was feeling and how different he felt after the break up, like his heart was hurting and how he felt lighter at the same time. They talked about what Naoki had said to Takeo and how that lead to the decision of ending it.

Naomi silently listened to her son as he prattled on and when he asked how long it would take for the pain to stop, she could only tell him the thing she told herself when she thought she would have to divorce her husband all those years ago....well, maybe not to this extent, but close enough that she could remember.

"Love is a weird thing, baby. Sometimes, it hurts more than you'd think it would. You find yourself crying to sleep every night, wondering where it went wrong. You occasionally see them in passing and hope that they'll come to their senses and approach you, only to walk right past you like you don't exist. It hurts....it always hurts. But it'll pass. This break up could be just what you need. With the extra free time, you could focus on your manga traning again. You haven't touched your practice books in years and with this being your last year of high school, you'll need the experiance for when you leave for University. And who knows? Maybe you and Takeo will get back together one day. Or you'll find someone else. Someone who makes you more happy than Takeo could. Someone who will respect your boundries and desires. Give it time, Sono. You're still young and have your life ahead of you. You'll see....everything will work out in the end."

He really needed those words, he realized later in the week. He would see Takeo at school briefly, they'd exchange glances and Sono would weakly wave at him, only for the boy to give him a sad smile and turn the other way, walking down the hall, followed by a bunch of girls.

That was what stung the blond the most. Takeo wasn't one to socialize with people who he deemed not worth his time and Sono felt honored that Takeo spent all his time with him because he was worth it. Now, it seemed like that changed. It hadn't even been 3 days and Takeo now looked at the blond like he had never seen him before in his life.

Naoki did his best to comfort the blond as much as he could, but he only had so much to give at this point. He never truly had to deal with his former friends during a break up, mainly because they were still too young for that. This was new territory for him as well, but he would be damned if he let his best friend deal with this alone.

They would hug it out on the roof when they could, talk to each other during class and even when Naoki offered to give the blond some company after school, Sono would refuse, mentioning how Naoki was spending too much time away from Ami and how he didn't want his relationship to fail like his and Takeos did. It was a blow to the heart, but Naoki accepted it and nodded, holding his friends hand and told him that he would always be there if he needed him.

Sono would smile and nod back before turning his attention back to his work.

Another week had gone by and just when Sono was starting to feel alright again, he recieved some upsetting news...well, more like overheard some news that struck him hard in his chest. Takeo had dropped out of school. Signed the papers and even his father was on board with it apparently. The blond had overheard some of the other upperclassmen talking about how Takeo said he didn't want to be at such a uppity school anymore and felt like he could do more for himself outside working with his father.

Sono wasn't stupid; he knew why Takeo left and it wasn't just because he didn't want to be part of an upper class student body. He left because Sono was the reason he even wanted to be at this school. It made sense that Sono would be one of the reasons why he wanted to get out.

He texted Naoki immediately after hearing this, ending up in a nearby closet, breathing into a paper bag, his anxiety settling in like he hadn't felt in years. The teen was quick to find him, running from his girlfriend after receiving the text and held him through his panic attack, comforting him and helped him breath through it. He had texted Ami soon after, apologizing and explaining what had happened.

Oddly enough, she seemed ok with it and even told Naoki to tell Sono she hoped he was feeling better. Which was strange and Naoki had to reread the text a few times to truly get her message. Didn't his girlfriend hate his best friend with a passion? He'd have to ask her about that later.

When they blond did calm down, he sobbed to Naoki, telling him he didn't know how much longer this would last and that he didn't know if he would do this, do anything without Takeo near him.

The older teen surprised him by telling him to man up and breath, that Takeo made the decision himself to leave school and now Sono would have to learn how to handle himself...Naoki mentioned that he would be there for him no matter what, but he wasn't going to sugar coat anything with the blond.

Break ups were hard, but Sono had to be strong for himself. The pain was only going to get worse unless he found an outlet for it. The blond seemed to understand that much.

Taking in his mothers advice, Sono began to draw again, venting his emotions through his art and realized very quickly how freeing this felt, drawing again after so many years and so many feelings that had happened in his life. He drew happy sketches, sad ones, angry ones and eventually found a perfect medium, merging them into beautiful stories and ended up creating his first actual volume of work, setting it aside with a smile and made a note to himself to have his brother help publish it later.

Another week went by and Sono was now feeling better than ever before. True, the pain of the break up was still fresh in his head and he knew it would take more time to truly get over it, but the blond thought he had found a happy balance with himself, especially considering the fact that the news of the break up reached his father about a week and a half later than he expected.

Kenji was...surprised at first, not sure how to feel or what to say. Naomi was the one that told him one night while they were going over bills and it was as if the news had tackled him onto their kitchen floor. She mentioned that it was technically Sono who 'broke up' with Takeo, even though it seemed like it was other way around, given how their son was acting the first week.

She mentioned that Sono was finally starting to come around and be himself again, that he was drawing more and even went with Oto to a publishing company to get his first completed work looked over, to see if it would sell.

Naturally, the idea of a 17 year old up and coming manga artist was pleasing to the publishing company, especially since it happened to be Kenji Hanasaki's youngest son. Naomi had said they wouldn't hear back from the company for a few days and how excited Sono was at the idea of getting his name out there much earlier than he had expected.

All this was hitting Kenji hard and he had to stand up, walk around as his wife gushed about their boy when he himself was reminded of all the horrible things he said to the teen over the years, calling him names and occasionally hitting him when there were no eyes watching them.

He had thought it had all started because of Takeo and now that he was out of the picture, he wanted to think that things between them would ease back into how they use to be.

Not so much, he realized. He had tried to talk to Sono later that night, but words eluded him. He couldn't think of what to say to his son and even the blond looked scared to even look at him for longer than a minute. Hell, he even tried to touch his face, try to caress his cheek, but his hand was trembling at the sight of his childs eyes widening a little when his hand raised, backing away for a moment, then looking away ashamed.

It was then Kenji realized the damage was too deep to fix and instead of trying to address it to the boy, he simply walked away from it, not bothering to tell his wife. What would be the point.

Sono sighed as his father had left the room that night, feeling a wave of nausea settle in his stomach, running to the bathroom to vomit out his fears of talking to his father. He didn't know what the man even wanted to talk about with him. He really didn't say anything when he sat on the teens bed next to him, then just got up and walked out, slamming the door behind him.

With one stress gone, another was still taking place. And Sono found he'd have to find a way to live with it as he always had.

Week 3 had come and gone so quickly and finally, the blond felt at ease. He had gotten a letter of approval from the publishing company and were going to move forward with the production. Sono had been more excited than he had in years, calling Naoki and telling him everything over a voicemail, only to get a text not a second later saying how proud he was of his friend and that they would celebrate by eating cakes and cookies like the teens they were.

They had yet to do so, since Naoki was now settling back into basketball and was making more of an effort to spend time with Ami after the near month of ignoring her, but Sono was fine with that. He felt better after everything had finally settled down a touch.

Even now, as he worked on his math homework, tapping his pencil against his chin, his mind was elsewhere, thinking of new manga ideas and how much he'd be compensated for his first work. Probably not much, since he was still so young, but something to put away for college...another thing he'd have to think about soon.

The school year had just started and already, his classmates were going on and on about where they wanted to go for university. Sono already had his heart set on Tokyo's most prestigious art schools, eager to absorb all he could from such infamous manga-ka. He knew Naoki was wanting to go to film school, for what he hadn't quite narrowed down yet. But he also knew Ami was going to Tokyo as well for fashion design, something she wanted to do since childhood, as Sono recalled her saying in grade school. So Naoki might just follow her and that way, he and Sono could still be together as friends for a little while longer.

True, Takeo was indeed out of the picture, but that didn't stop Sono from daydreaming about the potential future he could have with Naoki as his best friend forever. Tokyo was such a big place and depending where Naoki would be at, Sono wanted to think that they would get a place together, make it easier....

A soft knock at his bedroom door pulled Sono from his homework, pencil still tapped against his chin as he said,

"Come in."

The door opened and he gave a soft smile as his brother walked in, returning his smile as he shut the door, looking around the room for a moment, admiring the art on the walls, then turned back to his brother and said,

"I see you've redecorated. Where did all these pictures come from?"

Sono set his pencil down and looked at his walls for a moment, chuckling to himself. Naoki had gotten a hold of his fathers old film posters from back when he lived in America, instantly falling in love with them and got them printed off at a local file office for both his room and even printed off copies for his friend.

The blond seemed confused as to why he should have these, but they grew on him after a while. All these posters of old romantic movies, horror movies, sci-fi...he could see why Naoki adored movies so much.

"Hm? Oh those? Naoki printed them for me....said that...it might help me get some ideas for my manga career. And it does. I actually went back to my old practice books, started doodling again....I've missed drawing, Oto. I forgot how calm I feel when I actually start creating my own little world."

Oto smiled at him, reaching over to run his fingers through his brothers long hair, enjoying the silky feel through his fingers. It seemed like his brother liked to contact as well; Sono had closed his eyes and leaned into his brothers touch, taking in the warmth of his palm. The older man chuckled back at him, saying,

"Glad to see you're doing better. You had me worried when you came home in tears, what, 3 weeks ago? Christ...it was like you were being bullied again."

"Heh...as if Naoki would let someone bully me..."

That cheeky tone and the half smile....Oto couldn't even begin to describe how thrilled he was to see his brother the way he was seeing him now. For years, he looked so cold and so hurt, the mix of their father and internal conflictions seemed to eat at him. But now, he looked warm and relaxed. Well, as relaxed as he could be.

Oto sat on the blonds bed, facing him and asked,

"Has...has dad talked to you at all?"

There was a pause for a moment, the sound of the pencil tapping against the desk stopped and Sono turned in his chair, a sullen look on his face.

"Not really. I mean, he tried to talk about it a while ago...but...he just up and left without really saying anything. Why? Has he talked to you or mom about it?"

"If he has, I'm the last to know. I was just curious if he did. According to mom, he seemed really conflicted on how to react. She said he got really quiet and didn't say much to her either....but how are you feeling? I mean, Takeo was your first boyfriend and I remember you crying almost everyday since...well, until now. Heh...how are you holding up?"

"Better. It still hurts, but it's more of a small itch than a huge ache. Naoki's been helping me out a lot to truly get me over the pain. But honestly, I think I feel great. I've got so much free air around me now and I don't feel like I'm trapped anymore...aside from dad....I thought that...I thought because Takeo and I broke up, dad wouldn't hurt me anymore..."

"Is he still saying horrible things to you? Do I need to talk to him again?"

"No. Now, he's not saying anything to me at all and...I think that hurts more than his insults...like the feeling I had when he spouted off hate at me and such...it pales to how he's making me feel now. I'm glad that I'm free of Takeos overbearing ways, but I feel like in the process, I distanced myself further from dad. I guess that's kind of stupid, huh?"

No, absolutley not. Oto had seen how the teens face had fallen as they talked about their father and he wasn't going to let Sono fall deep into despair over something small. He got up from the bed and walked over to his brother, wrapping his arms around the teens waist, pulling him up from his chair and hugged him tightly to his chest, ignoring the small yelp from his brother.

The man kissed the top of his head, rubbing his back through his shirt, staring over his shoulder at nothing but the stuff on his brothers desk, pictures, pens and pencils...stacks of papers...

Oto sighed and whispered in his brothers ear,

"Don't ever think what you're feeling it stupid. What's stupid is how dad is behaving. For years, he could have been supportive of you, happy that you seemed happy, but no. He let his stupid pride get in the way of what was the most important. You're his baby and all he's done is make you feel like shit...Mom's done her best to ease that tension, and...I can't say I've been much help to you...but I've seen you do so much for yourself these last few weeks and...you have no idea how happy it makes me to see you thriving."

From his chest, Oto could feel his heart pounding and was certain Sono could feel it against his ear, making the smaller teen flush and nuzzle into his brother shirt. This was nice; it had been a long time since they embraced like this. Not for a few years, at least.

Sono felt his brothers lips against his head again, eyes closing at the familiar comfort he craved for so long. His arms itched to hold someone again and Oto was most defiantly helping him in this regard.

Comfort was something Sono wanted more than anything else at this stage of his life. And true, he could easily walk up to his mother and hug her, knowing she hug him back twice as hard. Hell, he could even get Naoki to hug him everyday, but then, Naoki just loved to hug the blond anyways, not caring who saw.

With Oto, it was a comfort Sono didn't know he wanted until this very moment. The way his brother held him to his chest...it was soothing, something one would expect from being held by a lover.

Once that feeling hit his chest, Sonos first thought was to back away from the hug, but found he couldn't. He didn't want to. He wanted his brother to hold him as long as possible, maybe even never let go.

A sour reminder crossed the teens mind quickly and he did his face deep in his brothers shirt.

Oto was getting married soon....should have been married already. He and Miyuki had been engaged for 4 years now and it was as if something was keeping them from actually finishing their plans. It couldn't have been something small either. It had to be...it could be...

The mans eyes snapped open when he felt his brother begin to struggle in his arms, almost confused as to what was happening. He slowly backed away and was flabbergasted as to why his baby brother had tears in his eyes all of a sudden.

"Sono? Love, what is it?"

He tried to hold his brother again, but Sono backed away from him, wiping his eyes, trying to keep his composure as he asked,

"Ni-san...am...am I the reason...?"

"Reason for what?"

"...for why you and Miyuki haven't married yet? Is it me? Are you holding back for me?"

The was a dark pause between them, Oto looking shocked to hell after being asked that and Sono looking like he suddenly wanted to die. His brown eyes welled up with more tears, the horror of such a thought hitting him all at once. He couldn't stop his own words as they tumbled out so quickly Oto had to keep his shocked eyes on his brother just to read his lips.

"Oh my god, it is me, isn't it...I'm the reason you can't marry her yet...you're taking care of me...and that's why...oh brother, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to become such a burden on you! I never wanted you to postpone your wedding because of me...Miyuki must hate me...just like dad does...oh god...dad must think I'm such a fool...Oto, please don't hold back your happiness for me. I'm not worth it...I'm not worth anything it seems...I can't even be worth Takeos time since he decided I...no...no, that's not right...I...shit! I can't remember my own thoughts! Brother, I-"

He was starting to stutter and trip over his words, something he hadn't done in years. Tears poured from his eyes, making rivers on his cheeks as he tried to stop the words from leave him. He couldn't stop.

Meanwhile, Oto, who had recently gotten over the shock from earlier, had just about enough of his brothers tears and fears. Because how dare he assume such a thing, thinking he was the reason for their marriage not happening. The mans breath hitched a bit as he quickly walked over to his brother, pulling him back into his arms, holding his head to his chest, feeling his shirt becoming wet with tears, not caring in the slightest. Nothing hurt him more than to see his brother, who was so happy earlier today, break down into sudden tears because of nothing. The boy was so sensitive and fragile lately...Oto hated seeing him like this. Internally, he blamed himself for this, for not being there when he should've been. He blamed Takeo as well, for not helping Sono with his own internal issues...but then, how could he have helped if he didn't know the extent of said problems?

Moreover, he blamed their father for this...for so many other reasons...

He looked down to the top of his brothers head, running his fingers once again through his golden hair, kissing those locks and said,

"Don't even think it. You're not to blame for anything, Sono and you know that...look at me, baby, it's ok."

With one of his hands, Oto tilted the teens face up to his, brown locking with brown, the mans thumb coming up to wipe away stray tears, leaning down to press a kiss to his forehead, whispering against his skin,

"I love you. Miyuki loves you. Our wedding hasn't happened yet because we can't plan for shit...but I can see why you thought otherwise. And I don't ever want you thinking that way ever again. Nothing you do could make me love you any less. You're my brother...when all else comes down, you're all I have...I wouldn't want that any other way..."

Sono wasn't really sure what to expect after all that. He wasn't expecting himself to break down like that out of nowhere, which made him feel like hell. He wasn't really expecting Oto to be so gentle with him either, comforting him where anyone else would have probably yelled at him.

He looked up at his brother, looking into his eyes through those glasses, opening his mouth to apologize for acting so stupid....Oto didn't give him the chance.

The man cupped the back of his brothers head, pulling him closer, not really thinking and only allowing his body to move for him. The teens eyes, wet as they were, widened as he realized what was happening and never got a word in.

Their lips locked slowly, gliding against the other like they had done this for years. Otos eyes had slipped shut while Sonos eyes were wide and absolutely confused, almost horrified. And it wasn't as if he actually did anything to stop his brother, how could he? He was frozen in surprise, almost wanting to kiss back.

Thankfully, the kiss was short as Oto pulled away, eyes opening to look at his brothers rather...stuck stupid face. It made him chuckle a little, wiping more tears away with his right thumb, leaning down to nuzzle his hair. For a moment, neither of them said anything, only basking in their embrace and comforting silence.

But Sono found himself stammering, asking,

"What...what the hell was that?"

"What was what?"

"Don't be stupid...I...you...you kissed me...I...thought that..."

Oto wasn't going to allow him to finish that thought; he simply pulled him closer, kissing his head and said,

"I did...to be honest, I'm not sure why I did...but to me, it felt right. Like, kissing you was like kissing Miyuki. Comforting, soothing...loving. I know it's not totally the same, but...I needed to do that. I needed to show you that no matter what happens...I will always love you. And I'll always be there for you. You're my brother...I'd be an idiot to think I can just leave you. You're hurting now...I see that...and it will continue to hurt as long as you let it...but I'll help you as much as I can. You've been through so much...I can't bare to think of you going through any more hell...let me love you, brother. Let me protect you. That's what I'm here for. And even after Miyuki and I get married, I'll still want to protect you and her...you're the only person aside from her I'd give my life for..."

With such an emotional speech still reeling in his head, Sono couldn't even stop and think about what he was doing or about to do. His thin arm reached up and wrapped around his brothers neck, hiding his face in the crook of his shoulder, gasping as if he had run a marathon. The amount of love he was feeling from the man...his heart was ready to explode. This is what he should have felt like when he was with Takeo, but never did. At least, not to his memory.

And this was all coming from his brother of all people. Who would've thought? Sono let out a sobbing sigh, smiling from ear to ear as he hugged his brother tighter, feeling his arms wrap around his tiny waist. Oto smiled as well, pulling back a little to press another kiss to his brothers quivering lips, enjoying how he kissed back.

He knew full well this was wrong. Everything about what they were doing was terribly wrong, but Oto found he didn't care. This was his baby brother...his brother was upset and he was doing all he could to make him feel better. Not only that, but it seemed Sono wasn't recoiling in disgust, so something seemed to be right about this.

As they kissed, Oto pulled the teen to his bed, sitting down and settled Sono into his lap, running his hands up the teens back, feeling him shiver under his touch. Oto could say he had never kissed another man until this moment; it didn't stop him from wanting to make his brother feel good as best he could without overstepping.

Oto knew from years of experience that Sono was not in the best mindset when it came to...physical affection. Just the fact that the teen was allowing him to go this far was a surprise to him. He knew what would happen if he should somehow go too far with this.

The meltdown Sono would have would be chaotic; everything about intimacy and physical anything would have him screaming for it to just stop. He recalled the teen saying that he would never have sex, never thought about it enough to enjoy it. And it made perfect sense as to why Sono and Takeo never did anything.

The teen was still scarred from 11 years ago, there was no denying that. And given how the family chose to deal with it over the years, Oto feared Sono would never truly be over it enough to live a proper life. Any person he'd be with would have to accept that Sono could not and more than likely will not handle sexual touches of any sort.

Then Oto thought about the other side of the spectrum....some people didn't know how to understand the word no...what if his brother got into a relationship with someone and forced themselves, pushing through Sonos demands to stop because his head was spinning with memories of Chino...

He pulled away from the kiss suddenly to grip his brothers waist, hugging him tightly and almost tore into the blonds shirt, eyes flaring through his glasses. If anyone dared to do what was going through his head right now...he didn't think he'd be able to stop himself. He'd kill them. Kill them and then hide his brother away, holding him until the fear was gone...if it would ever truly be gone.

Sono said nothing as his brother held him tightly, gripping his clothes like a lifeline. He patted his head, but it only made Oto tighten his grip, feeling a growl in his stomach that wasn't from hunger. It was strange, but Sono allowed his brother to hold him this way.

The kissing itself confused him, yet it was so relaxing and soothing he couldn't find a reason to be afraid of it. True, the way his brother was touching him before scared him a little, but it seemed Oto broke away quickly before things escalated.

Now, as they held each other like this on the teens bed, the blond sighed into his brothers hair, whispering,

"Ni-san...thank you...I...I can't...I can't even begin to tell you how happy you've made me today...I feel great...better than great...I love you...I promise...I'll get better soon. I won't be a burden to this family..."

"You are the furthest thing from being a burden....but I understand...I love you too, kiddo. Things will get better for you, I promise. Just give yourself some time..."

And from there, no other words were exchanged between them. Just gentle touches and soft hugs. Oto would occasionally kiss his brother again, but nothing that would cause him fear. It felt right to him. Doing everything he could to make his brother happy. Sometime during their embrace, Oto pressed his brother against his bed, hands woven in his golden hair, kissing his lips like he was parched of water.

The younger blond shuddered when his tongue was starting to play with his brothers, unsure if it was actually him doing it or his body moving for him. Either way, it felt nice. His hands pressed against the mans chest, gripping his shirt, trembling in his brothers embrace, noticing how his heart was starting to pound against his chest.

Eventually, Oto broke the kiss and looked down at the teen, a soft smile on his face. This wasn't a sight he'd ever be used to seeing, probably never again after today, but damn did it look beautiful.

Those pale cheeks now flushed with pink, tussled yellow hair all over his pillows, lips swollen from such unfamiliar kisses...the way he was breathing told Oto the teen was enjoying this more than he cared to admit.

Though one couldn't tell if Sono was enjoying this or not...he didn't seem to be having any reactions aside from his heavy breathing. It was almost alarming; Oto tilted his head at the boy, seeing how he gasped at him and turned his head away, buried in the pillow.

The man sighed through his nose, reaching out to run his hands across the boys cheek, leaning down to kiss his temple, his body nearly becoming a blanket around his thin form. He could feel how he soothed his nerves, even as the teens hands reached around to clutch his back through his jacket, shivering only slightly.

The silence was almost too deafening, even for a quiet person like Sono. It was almost suffocating him, the only air he was getting was from his brothers hold.

After a moment, he moved his head to look up at his older brother, who was still smiling at him with that damned smile, when he finally opened his mouth to ask a question he almost vomited just thinking about.

"Oto...what does...um...what does sex feel like?"

...

"I'm sorry?"

"You know...sex. What does it..feel like? I can't imagine anything so gross or so...painful...is it supposed to be painful?"

Holy shit, this was something Oto wasn't expecting at all coming from his brother this way. In the 11 years that he had tried to prevent his brother from going through another episode just by thinking of that disgusting disgrace of a man doing what he did to him, he had always assumed Sono would figure this out as he healed. But even after those 11 years, Sono had healed barely any. He could only blame his parents for that, but he also knew he didn't know how to handle it either. All he really could do was hold him when he cried, comfort him when he had a nightmare, listen to him as he talked about his fears.

Even recently, Sono made it very clear that sex was the last thing he wanted, ever, at all. He found the mere thought of it gross and vile and absolutely horrifying. Who could blame him? It wasn't as if he had a great mediator to handle his stresses and fears. Oto had always hoped Takeo would be the one to help him through these times, but now that he and Sono were no longer together and the other teen had apparently just up and left the school altogether, it seemed as though Naoki was the one to help in these ordeals.

That thought left a sour taste in Otos mouth; Naoki was Sonos best friend...his BEST FRIEND. Not his boyfriend, not anything else. So what the hell could he do to help the blond through this?

Nothing...there was nothing Naoki could do. So as it stood, since Sono would not even dare to approach this subject with their mother, or god forbid their father....Oto was the one who had to help him. And god, this was awkward.

Sono never really had to have the 'birds and bees' talk when he was growing up; the mere mention of anything sexual sent him into a state of panic. He had the terrible luck of experiencing such an act much too young and while he understood what was happening and to a lesser extent how, he still never understood why.

Chino was a pedophile, there was no two ways around that. But for years up until Sono was 13, he couldn't understand why Chino did what he did to him. And when it finally became clear that the man was nothing more than a sick pervert, the teen declared that he would be celibate forever, that sex was nothing he could see himself doing with anyone.

That is...until Takeo. Oto was certain that was going to be the deal breaker. Sono and Takeo had been friends for years before becoming romantically involved. And when they had first gotten into high school, it seemed as though they were going to take their relationship to the next level.

Clearly, it wasn't meant to be. Sono came home in tears the day he and Takeo broke up and Oto held him until he calmed down even after talking with their mother. She told him everything Sono told her and it just left him more confused. They seemed so happy...what went wrong?

All these different thoughts went racing through Otos head and for a moment, he had forgotten what he was doing. He looked down at his brother, who was staring up at him with those wide brown eyes and Oto suddenly felt his brain reload after remembering the question Sono asked him.

He sighed heavily, reaching up to remove his glasses and set them on his brothers nightstand before collapsing next to him with a huff, still slightly laying on the teen, his arm draped over his chest up to his face. He didn't say anything for a few moments; Sono was certain his brother had fallen asleep on him. But his deep voice against his neck made the teen shiver again, listening intently as Oto spoke.

"With the right person...at the right time...it's a feeling I can't even begin to describe. When I had my first time with Miyuki....yes, I slept with her before we got married, wipe that look off your face...it was beautiful. I mean, as beautiful as a first time can be. And it wasn't like we were totally inexperienced. That's what made it great. We were each others firsts and we still had things to teach each other...not to mention the feeling of absolute ecstasy. Everything about what you can do with someone just feels so good and you don't want to stop...as far as painful goes, that all depends on you and your partner. Foreplay is important and it can really set the mood for the rest of the night....or day, if you're daring...sex is something you should do when you feel you're ready and with the right person, but hey, we're human. Urges happen."

"Is...is that why Chino...did what-"

The mood shifted quickly as Oto suddenly leaned up on his elbow, glaring into his brothers wet eyes. His sudden movement made Sono gasp a little, but settled quickly as Oto leaned over him, not really touching him, but his eyes did the touching for him. It was calming, yet scary all at once. 

"No. What he did to you was nothing more than horrid. There was no love in that. No sane adult would even think of touching a child the way he touched you....Sono, I don't want you thinking that everything about sex is going to be painful. But I also understand why you feel that way. I wish I could go back in time and stop him from ever doing what he did. But that was 11 years ago. And I thought..well..I thought..."

"You thought I'd be over it by now...you thought...that I'd let it fade from my memories and I'd grow up normal with a skeleton in my closet..."

There was a tremor in Sonos voice that made Oto narrow his eyes at him, seeing how the teen was not looking at him, but staring at the ceiling, watching his ceiling fan slowly turn round and around again.

"I thought I would be over it, you know. I thought that after I left the hospital, after Takeo and I started...whatever it was we had...I thought I'd be normal again. I was so sure I had kicked this fear of intimacy and touching and...and I haven't. Every time I close my eyes after a long day, all I can see is that night and think of what I could have done to stop it."

"Sono, you were only 6. What coul-"

"That's not an excuse! I'm a Hanasaki too, damnit! Father's always saying how the men in our family are strong and fearless, able to handle anything that's tossed at us and look at me! I'm nothing like that! That one night all those years ago killed any chances I had of truly living a normal life...I couldn't enjoy certain things...I couldn't enjoy the way Takeo held me or kissed me..it always felt so wrong and I felt so dirty afterwards, like something was going to eat its way out of me every time he kissed my skin...and I hate it. I hate everything about it! For gods sakes...I couldn't even force myself to get aroused when Takeo and I actually made out...I don't even know what arousal is or what it's supposed to be...I'm a broken tool, Oto...Chino took more than just my virginity that night...he took away my desires...he took away my hopes of living like a normal man...how can I possibly recover from this? Hospitals didn't help me...our parents ignored it like it was a cancer...and dad won't even look at me anymore...why....why can't I just be normal? Why did I have to have this happen and...and...fuck up my whole mentality?! I hate myself, Oto and I don't even know how to make myself feel good..."

Surprisingly, Sono hadn't started crying as he ranted, but instead sat up and buried his face in his knees, taking deep breaths so he could try to calm himself down like Naoki showed him. He whole body was shaking, finally able to let out his true feelings to someone he knew wouldn't judge him. He so badly wanted to share these things with Takeo, but never felt comfortable enough to bring it up. And while he was comfortable with Naoki, he wasn't sure how his friend would react to something like this.

Meanwhile, Oto sat up next to him, processing all that his brother had just...vented to him. And as he ignored the fact that he had heard his baby brother curse at him for the first time, his mind was still trapped on the obvious elephant in the room. His poor baby brother was deprived of any sort of pleasurable feelings....all because of one man. It was no wonder Sono sulked all day and night, even when he seemed so happy, even as of late.

He understood why and even then, he felt like he had nothing to say. He watched his brother shiver in his bed, head buried between his knees, hearing how his breathing was heavy and ragged. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sonos phone start blinking, indicating a text message, almost pondering if he should reach over and see who it was. Well....since they were getting it all out there now....

Like a ghost, Oto reached over and grabbed his brothers phone, opened it and saw that, sure enough, it was a text message...from Naoki. Eyes shifting to his trembling sibling, who hadn't even budged since his outburst, Oto opened the message and his eyes widened a little.

_N-Hey, are you ok? I had this weird feeling in my gut and it told me to check up on you. I tried calling, but you didn't answer. Call me back._

That message sent all sorts of signals in Otos head, even as he glared at the message, like he was going to set it ablaze. He once again looked to his brother, who finally raised his head to rub his eyes...only to stop when he saw that his older brother had his phone in his hand and a glare on his face.

Oto didn't yell, he didn't snap, he didn't even curse. He exhaled through his nose again and said, almost too calmly,

"You didn't tell Naoki about what happened to you...did you?"

Sono wiped his eyes, feeling unshed tears and shook his head.

"No...he doesn't know. Takeo doesn't know either. No one outside the house does...I thought it was best I keep that from them..."

"I thought you trusted Naoki, at least."

"I do!....I do.....it's just...he already worries so much about me...this would just make him panic more and...I don't want to burden him with this. He has so much ahead of him already....and I'm just background noise..."

"Sono, stop it."

"Well, I am! Naoki has it all! A great family life, a girlfriend, a potential future with film or sports...he's a wonderful person and I care about him...I care about him too much to let him know his best friend isn't..."

"Isn't what?"

Sono said nothing else and snatched his phone from his brother, closing it and set it by his foot, not bothering to respond to the message. He'd call Naoki back later when he wasn't feeling so sick from all the emotions churning through his stomach.

Oto absolutley hated to see his brother so depressed, especially over something so...he didn't want to say tiny, because this was so far away from tiny.

Not wanting to end this on such a sour note, Oto pulled his brother back into his lap, pulling his head closer to his chest, running his fingers through his hair, pressing butterfly kisses to his scalp.

There was nothing Oto wanted more than to wipe the pain away from his brothers life, but it wasn't that simple and even the man knew he couldn't do it for him. Sono had to learn how to heal on his own, with or without peoples help.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I know how you've been struggling with this and me trying to intervene isn't making it any easier. I just want you to be happy...I hate seeing you so upset, putting yourself down when you were feeling so good about yourself earlier. Look at what you've accomplished so far. Your last year in high school and you've already got your first piece published. That's going to make it easier for you to get accepted into Tokyo. I'm so proud of you, Sono. And I know it doesn't seem like it now, but things will get better. You'll find a way to heal at your own pace. And I'll be here to help you when you need me. I won't leave you until you feel you can handle it on your own."

There was a pause for a moment as Sono turned to look up at his brother, eyes red from the force of trying not to cry. And by god, did Oto love this boy more than anything else. There was a slim chance that he loved him more than Miyuki...it was an odd feeling, but a comforting one.

"You promise?"

Oto smiled at him; Yep...he really did love this boy so much. And he was so happy that they were brothers...close enough to share their feelings with each other.

Cupping the teens cheek in his hand, he closed the gap between them, kissing his brother so sweetly that it nearly knocked the wind from their lungs. Sono kissed back eagerly, still not understanding why he wasn't feeling what he was supposed to be feeling...what even was he supposed to be feeling?

The older man broke the kiss slowly, looking into his brothers eyes and saw a bleak wall in those brown orbs....god, he wanted to crush it all down.

Pressing a softer kiss on his forehead, he whispered into his brothers skin, feeling how he shivered in his hold and vowed internally that should it ever come down to it, Oto would be the one to protect his brother forever...a vow his father should have kept the day the boy was born.

"I promise."

 

\--

 

Nearly two days later, Kenji had given Oto a choice:

Either he move out and find a place with his fiancee, whom he should have married already, or stay and have his position with the company put on hold until Kenji deemed him ready.

And in the end, he chose the first option, knowing full well he'd be breaking his promise to his brother, but he also knew this had to be done.

He wasn't sure why his father was suddenly throwing him out like this, though. It wasn't in malice, nor was it in disappointment. It was simply a father wanting his grown son to leave the nest, live his own life and not be shackled to his family. Even still, it hurt him deeply and as he packed his things, he found himself resenting his father for this.

How could Kenji do this? How could he just expect Oto to up and move out at such a serious time? Sono needed him...he needed his support. And now, he was being forced away. His brother was going to be crushed. How was he supposed to break the news to him?

...

As he expected, Sono wasn't thrilled about the news. Coming home from school after failing a math test, combined with Naoki at basketball practice all day, mixed with their father doing his usual berating, more towards his failing grade...this was not what he needed to hear after all that.

He looked heartbroken, but he remained firm through all of Otos apologizing. He was a statue as he was hugged and only when Oto kissed him did he finally break down into tears, not wanting his brother to leave so soon...even though he knew he had to.

He left at the end of the week, finding a nice apartment in East Fukushima with Miyuki as it was closer to her job and he was not opposed to public transportation. He said his goodbyes, hugged his mother as she cried, kissed his brothers head as he remained emotionless, even when Oto said that he could visit whenever he wanted and that he would send him a spare key later.

He gave his father a rather cold hug and an even colder handshake, giving a stern stare at his father, but said nothing as he smiled and left the house with his belongings, loading them into Miyuki's car and soon, they were pulling out of the stone driveway.

It was stressful that night; Sono had gotten up from the table without eating anything, claiming he wasn't hungry and went to his room, ignoring how his mother called for him. Once he had made it to his room, he fell on his bed and hugged his pillow, mimicking the way Oto held him just two days ago. He wanted to cry, but he found his body wouldn't let him. His head was pounding and all he wanted now was to sleep this off, find some sort of relief in his dreams.

But even as he tried to relax in his bed, he couldn't bring himself to sleep. Each time he closed his eyes, memories of Chino and the hospital staff brazing through his mind kept him from keeping them closed. He would open them in shock, shivering in his bed, tempted to run to Otos room and crawl in bed with him, have him be held as he slept through the night like when they were kids.

Expect Oto wasn't here anymore. And Naoki was busy....and Sono was alone. It was a dark feeling that settled in his heart, making him clutch his chest and try to take deep breaths. He didn't know how to handle being alone yet and this entire week wasn't helping at all. He needed someone with him.

Someone to hold him, tell him things were going to be alright.

Takeo...he could call Takeo...it would just be for one night and that would be it.

That could work. He jumped from his bed and ran to his desk, grabbing his phone and scrolled through his contacts, finding Takeos number and hit dial, pressing it to his ear, hearing it ring...and ring...and ring...and ring some more.

_The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again_

The cellphone dropped from Sonos hands and onto the carpet, his eyes wide with horrifying realization...Takeo changed his number. He truly was forcing him out of his life.

No no no no...this couldn't be happening.

He quickly picked up his phone and hit dial once again.

_The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please hang up and try again_

He hit dial again.

_The number you have dialed is no longer in service._

Fourth time.

_No longer in service._

Fifth time....

_No longer in service._

As he tried for the sixth time and got the same message, his eyes were now wide with panic and he let out a cry, throwing his phone back on his desk, backing away and falling flat on his back, feeling his head start to pound. This wasn't good. He felt sick.

He needed his pills.

Slowly crawling over to his school bag, he tossed everything out of it and grabbed his bottle of medication, yanking the top off and shook four pills into his hand, popping them into his mouth, swallowing them dry before closing the cap and layed down on his floor, feeling his head start to swim.

He hated feeling alone...he hated everything about being alone. He didn't want to bother Naoki...he couldn't get a hold of Takeo...Oto just left to live his own life...

For the first time in years, Sono actually felt true bleakness and solitude. He enjoyed his alone time, but this was becoming frighting. He didn't bother calling his mother...she'd be devastated to see him like this and he couldn't put her through that.

And his father...what could he even say?

The pills were starting to kick in and Sono felt heavy all of a sudden. His eyes began to flutter and his heart started to slow to a steady beat.

With a shuddering breath, he closed his eyes, seeing nothing but darkness and fell asleep on his bedroom floor, drool leaking from his mouth, still dressed in his school uniform.

On his desk, his phone began to vibrate, Naokis name showing up on the caller I.D. The way the phone was thrown onto the desk, the vibrations shook his pencil holder, making a loud ringing noise.

Not that Sono heard it; he was out like a light.

 

A rather drugged up kind of light.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

Naoki wasn't stupid.

 

He knew that he played up a lot of things for people, showed off more of his playful and positive side for laughs, mainly because he knew how to make people happy. It was his forte. He didn't like it when people he cared about were down about something and made it his mission to turn their attitudes around.

He learned that from his father; the man was always making people feel good when they were feeling like their worst. It was just his way of living, hence why he opened restaurants and bake shops and cafes. He loved to help people and make people smile...Naoki always admired him for that. And he never understood why his mother couldn't grasp that. But then, that was probably one of the reasons they separated. Naoki remembered that day vividly.

And it wasn't even the news that they were divorcing that surprised him the most. He could see it coming from a mile away. His mother just never understood the way her husband was, how he helped people and how their son was starting to develop the same ideals. So of course he wasn't surprised to hear from his father one day after school that he and his mother were no longer together. If anything, he was more surprised about the fact that his mother wasn't bothering with custody agreements and that Huri should have full control.

That was what hurt him the most, at least at first. Having your own mother say they didn't want to be apart of your life wasn't something a kid would take well. But Naoki began to accept it as the final date of their stay in Kyoto drew closer, and he found it didn't matter. He'd respect the choice she made, knowing he'd be a better person for it.

So when his father left to Fukushima to open his shop there and sign him up for school, Naoki was more than willing to stay with his mother to finalize a few things between them, clear the air of sorts. He listened to her side of the story closely, comparing it to how his father mentioned it to him, how crushed he looked at first before smiling at his son, telling him they were going to be alright. Her side seemed more blunt than anything and he found he wasn't as hurt by it as he thought he'd be.

She had said that it wasn't because she didn't love him that she didn't want to be apart of his life. She just knew that her lifestyle choices would get in the way of things Naoki and his father wanted to do and she didn't want to drag her son down. How she wasn't really expecting to be a mother so young and wanted to do more for herself and felt as though Naoki could do better without her.

A pretty decent sounding excuse, if not a pretty selfish one, and Naoki wasn't so sure of her sincerity, even as she hugged him afterward, but he shrugged and called it good, realizing that he knew she was right. Even as a child, he couldn't really connect with his mother and felt this would be better for the both of them. He respected her decision and even helped her pack her stuff while packing his own.

So clearing the air between his mother was easier than he imagined. That was one good thing. But the next task on his list was to say goodbye to the friends he had made over the years. And he was sure that would be even harder than saying farewell to his mother.

But as it turned out, saying goodbye to his friends was much easier than saying goodbye to his own mother; they wished him well in the new city and hoped he'd find friends there easily. And Naoki knew he would. And he also knew he didn't have to keep in contact with his friends in Kyoto either.

Give it a year; they'll forget all about him. And he accepted that too.

Naoki accepted a lot and knew his childish demeanor would get people to feel good, even for a moment. And he knew where to draw the line if boundaries got crossed. He could get serious just as easily and always payed attention where to shut his mouth and be a grown adult. That always came quickly to him. As said before, Naoki wasn't stupid.

No...Naoki wasn't stupid at all. Just...overly observant with people. It was one of his gifts and he always used it to his advantage. He could get people to open up with him easily just by observing how they acted and he was trustworthy enough to be let in. He was the person someone would go to for advice, to cry on his shoulder, to vent to, anything. And he loved it. He loved to be that person. Ami always called him the human tissue, soaking up everyone's problems and not taking care of his own.

But that's where she was...partly wrong. Naoki didn't have a lot of problems because he never really liked to cause waves. That just wasn't his style. And if he did have issues, he would handle them himself, not liking to involve others unless he could trust them.

And there in lies the biggest problem Naoki faced in a long while. The person he trusted more than his girlfriend, more than his father...was also the one person he could not for the life of him get to open up to him, even after years of friendship. It was almost funny had it not been so concerning, especially presently.

Recently, Sono had been looking like a shell, worse than a shell. When Naoki saw his friend walking down the halls, he could see the slump in his posture, the way his hair hid his face. He tried to talk to him in homeroom, but the blond just refused to speak to him. He would give him a soft smile and go back to his work.

Naoki was confused...hurt...more hurt than he had ever felt from anyone. He would take in his friends appearance and felt his heart sink to the pits of his stomach.

He looked thinner, more pale and his usually bright brown eyes were bleak and sunken, the dark circles under his eyes speaking volumes. His hair looked messy....messier than usual.

The worst part of it was Sono was flat out refusing to talk about it. Naoki would ask him about his day and the blond would shrug, not even looking at him. At lunch, Naoki would text Ami and lie to her, saying he had some extra work to do, only to sit with his friend and try to feed him his food after realizing Sono didn't bring a lunch...which he had apparently been forgetting to do for months it seems, according to him.

Again, Naoki wasn't stupid. He had caught Sono throwing his bento away as he passed the school gates many times, but never thought to ask why until he noticed the changes in his friends body.

Gym was the worst time of the day; In the locker room, Naoki would watch Sono change into his gym clothes and almost cringe as he saw the way his friends stomach sunk in so much, almost catching sight of his ribs. How he managed to perform exercises without passing out was a miracle on its own.

After school, Naoki would offer to walk Sono home, but the blond would smile and decline, saying he had things to do and remind Naoki he had practice later. Then he would just walk away.

This had been an ongoing pattern for months. And Naoki knew it all started when Oto was forced to move out of their house....Sono had called him at 3 in the morning, voice slurred from what he could assume was sleep and told him everything. Then he veered off into something about a hospital, but Naoki didn't catch the rest. He focused on his friends voice and how...off he sounded. He sounded like he as sleep talking, but it sounded strained and forced. He didn't ask about it then, but now, after a while, he figured he'd have to get to the bottom of this sooner or later.

He already felt like a terrible friend for letting it get this far without acknowledging it. Poor Sono was so obviously going through something and here he was practically ignoring it.

What kind of friend was he, anyway?

 

\--

_-June-_

"Pick it up, Nazawa! One lap left and you're already slacking!"

Sono snickered a little as the gym teacher blew his whistle and snapped off at Naoki, who was clearly prancing his way down the track to the end of the mile, ignoring the yells of the teacher as he made his way to his blond friend, sitting next to him on the grass, breathing in gulps of air. Sono chuckled and leaned his head on his bare knees, muttering,

"It's amazing. Star basketball player of the whole school and you can't even handle 4 laps. I even beat you by a minute and 40 seconds and I'm in worse shape than you. Sensei's right; you are slacking."

Naoki sneered at him, lightly punching his leg before stretching his arms, feeling his bones pop. He heard the blond chuckle again at him before leaning back on the grass, his blond hair glistening with the sun and sweat on his forehead.

They were quiet for a moment, watching the rest of the runners finish their laps and then make their way to the drinking fountains, pushing and laughing about the mile, as they always did. This was their first major run of the school year, something the gym teachers always did at the beginning of the first semester to test their speed and endurance. So far, only a few of the students made a good first impression. Naoki laughed to himself because his friend was right. He was slacking already, but he didn't care much about gym. Hell, his basketball couch knew that his star player cared little about gym class. That wasn't what was important to him...speaking of which...

Naoki turned his attention to his best friend, his small smile fading a touch when he really looked into the teens face. Those dark circles under his eyes looked more evident as the sun beated on his pale skin. He tried to find any reason at all in his head as to why or how his friend had fallen under such a deep state of depression without his knowledge.

The thought made the teen stop and look away ashamed...he knew why he had no answers. He was spending so much time at practice and with Ami, sometimes working with his father at the shop that time with his best friend seemed so hard to come by.

It didn't help that Oto was now far on the other side of the city, far enough that public transportation would take over an hour and Sono had 0 time for that.

His smile came back quickly as a sweet thought came to his mind, his brown eyes shifting back up to his friend, nudging him with his elbow, saying,

"So....did I tell you my dad gave me his old car?"

Sono turned his head to him slowly, his bangs falling in front of his eyes as he snickered at his friend, a sight Naoki loved to see more often. But then Sono covered his mouth to cough a little, making his smile dip a little, even as the blond laughed again, saying with a snarky tone,

"Do you even know how to drive? Hell, do you even have a license?"

The way the question was asked made Naoki laugh out loud suddenly, pressing his hand against his chest in a dramatic fashion, snapping out,

"Well, I take offense to that, dear friend. Of course I have my license and of course I know how to drive. What do you think I've been doing these last few months? It's not all about my playing with a nice orange ball and hanging around a pretty blond cheerleader nearly every day. My dad's been teaching me how to drive on the days the cafe is closed and I recently passed my test."

He flung his wild brown hair to the side and posed like a diva, making Sono laugh a little harder than he wanted to and wipe his eyes a bit. The sound of his friends laugh made Naoki feel fantastic and even sat up properly to give the blond a light punch, saying,

"Geez, you make it sound like all sketchy and such. I thought you had more faith in me then that, rich boy. Haha, though I guess I can't blame you for not knowing. I haven't exactly kept you in the loop lately. So much awesome stuff has been happening and you're not here to share it with."

There was a sudden shift in the air the moment those words left Naoki's mouth and his smile faded in seconds when he saw the blonds face pale, his brown eyes narrowed in sadness and he looked away from him, bringing his knees to his chest, rubbing his neck with one hand, whispering,

"Oh...t-that's great. I didn't know...you've been so busy and I've been just off doing nothing. I'm sorry, Nao. I'm proud of you, I really am."

Well, shit.

The older teens attempts to lighten the blonds mood with humorous conversation about his newly accomplished ability to drive legally backfired almost instantly as it had started to help. Naoki grumbled to himself and looked away from the blond, sensing an uneasy rift between them.

Damnit, it never used to be this way. Sono was his best friend, someone he could share anything with. And here they were, acting like a pair of shawdy teenage girls caught in a misunderstanding. He didn't like this silence between them and turned his head to look at his friend, seeing how he was itching at the back of his neck, almost roughly, his eyes seeing a few scratch marks already on the nape of his neck.

Finally, he scooted closer to the blond and reached over wrapping his arm around his friends shoulder, pulling him in closer and asked calmly,

"How have you been since your brother left? Everything ok at home?"

The blond lifted his head a bit, turning to look at him through his bangs, seeing the look of concern written all over his friends face. It was nice...nerving somewhat, but nice. The question was loaded, Sono knew that, but didn't address it.

Oto had been gone for well over 2 months...god, it felt like so much longer. And while it was true that Naoki knew the length of time that had passed, he didn't know the extent of how...bad Sonos mood had become since then. Like every positive step he took up to that point was now 5 steps backwards. That first night was so difficult and that morning after was even worse. The blond flushed at the memory of that first night since Oto left, feeling like a damned fool for doing what he did.

He had woken up a few hours later, almost 2:45 in the morning as he recalled, after taking all those pills, sprawled out on his floor with a line of dried drool on his chin. His skin was drenched in an oddly cold sweat, his uniform sticking to his skin. He felt disgusting, but absolutely weary....confused...almost as if he was drunk or high.

He wasn't sure why he called Naoki at that point, hell, he didn't know how late it was until his friend told him the next day. But the older teen hugged him through his nervous babbling, apologizing for waking him up for something stupid.

Naoki didn't like seeing his best friend acting so strangely...surely it wasn't just because Oto moved out...there had to be something deeper, more to it. He knew his friend was close to his brother, but it just didn't make any sense for him to be this upset over it.

Then again, with their father the way he was, it did make a little sense for Sono to be this crestfallen over his being alone. And Naoki wasn't helping matters by being busy all the time. For gods sake, he was the one who took care of Sono in middle school when the derailment of him and his fathers relationship started.

He needed to get to the bottom of this. He didn't like being so out of the know when it came to people he cared for.

Rubbing his friends shoulder gently, he said,

"Sono? I asked you a question."

The blond shivered in his hold, removing his hand from his neck and sighed to himself, muttering,

"I've been..um...managing...it's been hard, but not as bad as it could be. My dad's still not talking to me unless I mess up somewhere, mom's trying to keep the peace in the house and well...Oto doesn't visit...I thought he'd at least come to see me, but he hasn't."

That piece of information caught Naoki by surprise. In the months he had been gone, Oto hadn't once went to visit his baby brother? The brother he swore to protect and be there for? That right there was a red flag in the teens head.

"Really? I thought for sure he'd be by the house every day...does he at least call you?"

Sono smiled to himself, shrugging and said,

"Sometimes....he's busy with his job now, pushing himself to be transferred to the Tokyo division...plus, he's trying to plan his wedding. He has too much on his plate as is...last thing he needs is his annoying baby brother bothering him just because he's lonely..."

Sono stopped talking, his words veering off as he hid his face in his knees, not seeing how Naoki was giving him a sympathetic stare. God, he hated seeing his friend act this way. He was so used to him being bubbly and happy, not so dark and upset. It was out of his character, at least to Naoki it was.

Taking a moment to glance over to the other end of the field at the cheerleader practice taking place, Naoki watched his girlfriend call out cheers, commands, point to her team, eventually turning around to catch his gaze, waving at him happily. He waved back a little, turning away to look at his friend, who was still staring out at the near empty track with an empty expression.

This was torture; Naoki wasn't going to just let his friend feel so...down without him even trying to help. Getting closer to him, he wrapped his arms around his friends form, hugging him tightly, feeling how he tensed up and said,

"I know I haven't been there to help you out lately, rich boy. I haven't been the greatest friend ever..."

A snort mixed with a chuckle and Sono grumbled out,

"Don't...don't worry about it. You've been busy with your team...and Ami...they have more priority over me. I can handle it."

What?

Priority over him? What the hell was that supposed to mean? Naoki felt his nostrils flare at that without realizing it, removing his arms from his friend, only to grip his shoulder tightly, wanting so badly for Sono to look him in the eye and say that again. When he didn't, Naoki grew frustrated.

Like...really frustrated.

"Why do you say that? They don't have priority over anything. I knew you long before I joined the team and even longer than I've been with Ami. Sono, you're my best friend and I'm worried about you. These last few weeks, you've been looking miserable and you won't even tell me why....if you're lonely...call me. I'll come pick you up and we'll go do something. You're not totally alone, you know that. You're still my best friend...aren't you?"

The teen was almost smacked in the face by his friends blond hair as the boy snapped his head around to look at Naoki, wide eyed and shocked, almost appalled that Naoki would ask such a question. Good, at least they were staring at each other now. It didn't really do much to ease Naoki's irritation.

"What? Of course I am. How could-"

"Because you're acting as though I just up and left you for nothing. For gods sakes, if I wanted to be emotionally guilt tripped, I'd hang out with my girlfriend for a day...and I've been there, done that. Listen to me. I told you that you were going to have to handle these things at some point. I know Oto was your last line of defense, but now he's moved out and has to live his own life...and you need to learn how to handle yourself better, especially when you're alone and...and..."

Oh fucking hell, Naoki had to stop when he saw those crystal tears in his friends eyes, internally hitting himself for being so harsh. Sono was way too sensitive to be talked to this way. He always had been. And Naoki had to rethink his words when it came down to...well...lecturing him about these things. Thing he, in all honesty, knew literally nothing about.

Instead, he sighed and rested his head against Sonos sweaty golden hair, groaning to himself, reaching up to wipe the stray tears away from his brown eyes. This wasn't helping either of them. He knew that. Sono was more than likely getting yelled at by Kenji on the daily for stupid shit. He didn't need to be yelled at by his only friend.

When he felt the blond calm down just a little, Naoki helped him stand up and together, they walked back to the locker room with the rest of the class, not exchanging words until they were cleaned up and dressed in their uniforms, making their way back to their homeroom. Once they got sat down and waited for the rest of their class, Naoki turned to look back at his friend, seeing his distraught look. It hurt him deeper than he realized...

Taking one of his hands, Naoki said,

"Sono, I know you're hurting. I don't know why you are, but I know you well enough to see it. Please just let me in to help you. I haven't been there for you enough and I know what you're like when you're by yourself. I don't want you to hurt yourself this way...ok? You'll tell me if you need me, right? And you know you can always call me and I'll come get you. Or I can come over to your place and we'll just watch tv in your room-"

"Stop that."

Naoki stopped his words short when Sono spoke, but was more confused as to the harshness of snapping his hand away from him, a dark look in his brown eyes.

It was a look Naoki had never seen before. He actually looked...angry at him. And he never got to ask why at that point, thanks to their teacher walking in and beginning the next part of the day.

Naoki was left fuming to himself, thinking about it all period long, occasionally looking behind him to see Sono focused on his work, his eyes still dark with whatever it was that was now being directed at him.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the class was dismissed for the day and students piled out quickly, some staying behind to chat with friends. Naoki took this opportunity to turn and talk to his own friend...only to see he had slipped out already.

In seconds, Naoki was on his feet with his school bag, bolting out of the classroom, making his way to the entrance of the school, looking around for the mass of yellow hair he wanted to see.

It took a few moments, but he finally found him walking down the stone path and eventually, he caught up to him, gripping his shoulder a bit too rough, snapping out,

"Hey! You wanna tell me what your issue is? All I did was offer to help you and spend time with my friend. And you want to just blow me off and not tell me why?"

Sono let out an uncharacteristic sound of frustration, snapping his shoulder away from Naoki and turned to glare deathly daggers at him, tears pooling in his eyes and his pale cheeks flushed in red. Naoki was taken aback for a second, even more so when Sono began to roughly wipe his eyes, trembling.

Where did all this come from? Naoki wasn't sure when the last time he saw his friend like this was...wait...no, no he remembered.

It was the day he and Takeo broke up.

Anger faded into concern as Naoki reached out to touch his friends shoulder again, whispering his name like a question, but Sono tensed and took a step back, dark eyes wide at him as he snapped out in a voice Naoki was 100% sure he never wanted to hear from his friend again.

"Just stop it! Stop acting like I suddenly matter to you! I'm not your stupid team that you can just shout plays at! And I'm not your stupid girlfriend who needs your constant attention! I'm nothing! I'm just a friend who apparently needs to handle himself! Fine...I get that...but stop acting like you know what's best for me! You don't know anything! No one does! I'm sick of everyone thinking I'm some fragile little doll...I already hate myself for acting like it..."

People were starting to stare; Naoki was barely paying any attention to them at this point. His eyes were locked on his best friends face, his trembling form and god damnit, he just wanted to hug him, not let go and apologize for everything.

He never got around to touching him though; the minute he started talking, or at least opened his mouth, Sono shouted at him,

"Just leave me alone! I don't want to hear it anymore! I'm sick of hearing it! I just want to be left alone!"

He took off in a mad dash through the gates, leaving Naoki standing there, wide eyed and horribly lost as to what just happened. There was a strange feeling in his chest, an even stranger feeling in his head. It hurt, but not enough to make him worry about it.

In the years he and Sono had been friends, he had never once heard the blond explode on him like that. And in the end, that's what hurt the most. He felt shame he wasn't sure he knew existed.

Absentmindedly, he gripped his locket and held it tight, feeling the gold warm in his hands, already know that he couldn't just let this slide. Even as he shook himself out of his shock, he turned to stare at everyone looking at him, eyes sharp as he said,

"The hell are you all looking at? Get out of here. Shows over."

They all began to walk away; Naoki twisted his head to watch them all leave, turning around in case someone was behind him. When he did, he locked eyes with the shocked look on Ami's face, immediately glaring back at her, as if it were her fault this all happened.

With a scoff, Naoki straightened up and began his walk home, suddenly not in the mood to talk to anyone.

 

\--

As if the day could not get anymore stressful. Sono wanted nothing more than to just crawl in his bed and die.

It was his fault really. He knew better than to leave things in his room when he knew that Tuesdays were laundry day and his mother would go into his room to collect his clothes. He had hoped that she would be reasonable and pull him aside to discuss it in private.

Well...he had clearly been wrong before. Just not to this extent.

He had not been home for more than 2 hours and now he was sitting at the dining room table, both of his parents towering over him like two deathly beasts. It wasn't enough that his father was glaring such daggers at him. His mother was too.

But unlike his father, she was not empty handed. Oh no. In her left hand was the near empty container of pills he had stashed under his bed. The container that was dated back 5 years ago. He grimaced to himself. He could only imagine the thoughts going through her head when she found it and brought it to Kenjis attention almost immediately.

Finally, after several tense moments, Naomi set the pills down in front of him, her own brown eyes narrow and sharp as she said,

"So...this explains quite a bit, doesn't it? How we never had to refill your medication because you told us you were doing it yourself. I should've guessed that seemed too unlike you. I assumed your brother was the one getting your meds refilled. But no...you just haven't been taking them. And according to this, your last refill was....April 7th, 5 years ago."

Her hand smacked down next to the pills, causing them to rattle and Sono to tense up, not allowing himself to look at them as she asked,

"Why did you lie to us, Sono? Why the hell did you think it was ok for you to lie to us for 5 years?"

The teen said nothing at first, his eyes locked to the pill bottle, wanting to take them and go to sleep, to avoid this terrifying situation he found himself in. But he couldn't get away. Stuck in a corner that was his mothers gaze and his fathers horrible stare.

He opened his mouth, saying meekly,

"I...I thought...I thought I didn't need them anymore..I mean..Takeo and Naoki...they-"

He stopped and cringed when his fathers hand smacked on the table next, louder then his wifes and said,

"They are NOT the ones to make that choice for you. How dare you even allow yourself to think that. Though I should have guessed you were keeping more secrets from us. As if the whole Takeo shit wasn't enough."

God, that struck Sono so hard in the heart that he actually felt anger. His head snapped up towards them and he jumped from his chair, snapping back at his father,

"At least Takeo was there for me when I needed him after the stupid scene you made! Maybe if you had stopped and talked to me instead of jumping to the worst conclusion, I wouldn't have had to lie to you all this time-!"

His words were cut short when a loud SMACK vibrated the dining room, snapping his head to the left. He wasn't unused to Kenji hitting him in such a way; perhaps he was too used to it now.

"You watch your tongue, young man! Don't think for a second I'll allow you to talk to me in such a way under my roof! You brought that trash into my house and now I have to pick up your pieces because you clearly can't do it yourself."

Something in the back of Sonos mind nearly snapped, which lead to him twisting his head again, shouting, 

"No one asked you to clean up my messes! You just do it all yourself because you're ashamed of me!"

"And why shouldn't I be?! I did all I could for you and you repay me with such a disgusting act of sin...shame might not even be the right word."

"Then say it! You're embarrased by me! You both are!"

"Sono, enough! Stop trying to switch the subject! That's not what we're talking about here!"

The teen turned his head to his mother, who was gleaming her deep brown eyes at him, almost wanting to cry with how hostile the air had suddenly become. She never thought in her wildest nightmares that she's ever have to have this argument with anyone in her family; Now, it just seemed like it was long overdue. 

Kenji, already near infuriated, turned on his heel and looked his wife in the eyes, seeing how her glare shifted to him after seeing him smack their son. But he ignored her annoyance for a moment, saying,

"Naomi, I think it's time we discussed a different living situation for him. Oto would never lie to us in such a terrible way."

Her glare turned to daggers as she snapped, 

"Kenji, stop it. I already told you no. Angry as I am, I am not kicking him out if he's not ready."

"Ready isn't the issue! What else has he lied to us about? A relationship with another boy, hiding expired medication in his room, which I may add looks as though it's half full! He's probably been taking these recently! How can we tolerate such mistrust?! Do you really want more lies and mistrust in this house?!"

"Shut up! If there's anyone who should angry about mistrust, it's me!"

Both parents were startled at the outburst from the other end of the table, but none more so than Kenji. His son was shooting looks at him, tears leaking from his eyes, his entire body shaking like one of his seizures.

Sono didn't stop there. He let it all out on that dining room table, his fist smacking it so hard that he was sure he almost crushed his hand. It certainly felt like it anyways. But he didn't take notice until he literally started screaming at them, his broken voice echoing through the dining room, 

"I hate this! You're the reason I'm like this! I wanted so badly to tell you everything, but you treated everything about me like it was a disgusting tumor! You won't even talk to me about all those years ago because you're afraid of the scandalous backlash. Say it, dad....say it! I was raped! By YOUR FRIEND NO LESS! And ever since then, everything I do, you just hide it away! Why do you think I hid my relationship with Takeo from you....why do you think I never tell you anything anymore...I...I hate myself for everything...and I especially hate you! I hate you, dad! I hate you! I hate you because you hate me for stupid reasons! That hurts more than anything!"

With such speed that neither adult saw coming, Sono snatched the bottle of pills, screaming at his parents to leave him alone, running up the stairs, knowing he was being followed by them and ran into his room, slamming the door and locked it, pressing his desk chair against the knob and fell to the floor, crawling to the edge of the bed, nearly going deaf after hearing his father start banging on the door, furious not even beginning to describe the tone in his voice.

"You ungrateful brat! Open this goddamn door! I'm through being patient with you! When I get my hands on you, you're going to wish you hadn't said all that!"

Sono watched as the banging vibrated his door, his heart pounding in his ears as he let out a loud cry, a near distressed cry, nearly ripping off the lid of the pills, dumping them all over the wood floor, his vision getting blurry from all the emotions. It was like his mind had shut itself down and now, he was acting on pure hysterics. He couldn't do this anymore. He wouldn't do this anymore. 

The red pills swirled in his eyes on his wood floor, finally able in gripping 6 of them in his hand, dipped his head back, swallowing them dry, almost choking as he coughed them down. They hurt going down, but the blond didn't care anymore. Nothing really mattered after this anyway. In a few moments, the pills would take the affect they always would, making him tired and fall asleep against the rug. Only this time, he wouldn't wake up. Why the hell would he want to. He settled his head against the foot of his bed, already feeling his head begin to swim, his vision getting fuzzy and his breathing was staring to become rough. He turned his eyes to his window, no longer hearing his fathers angry pounding on the door, suddenly feeling a cold breeze against his sleeve, trying to remember if he opened his window earlier. He struggled to open his eyes, but when he did, they widened in shock and in horror.

"Sono?"

Dear god, this day was getting worse. Why the hell was Naoki climbing through his window, of all times like now? He was starting to hyperventilate, eyes wider than ever as his friend took a look around the room, hearing the pounding on the door, brown eyes seeing the pills all over the floor and stopping short, a gasp ripping through his mouth.

Naoki wasn't stupid; he put two and two together really quickly and immediately felt his heart sink into his stomach. This was the opposite of what he was expecting to walk in on when he made the impulsive choice to go surprise his best friend with a visit and an apology. Now he wasn't sure what to think.

But the look on Sonos face, the way he was starting to pale and breath heavily, Naoki started to panic even more. He watched as the blonds hand, almost in slow motion, weakly reached for him, his strained voice,

"N...Naoki.."

Oh god, his voice sounded cracked and disorientated. It was more than he needed to hear. His legs moved without him realizing, running straight to his friend, getting to his knees and took his hand, his other cupping his cheek and frantically spoke,

"How many did you take...Sono, answer me! How many pills did you take?!"

The blond said nothing, but they both noticed the pounding on the door stopped suddenly, not that Naoki cared about that. He kept a firm grip on his friends hand, forcing him to look at him as he noticed the line of drool leaking from his friends mouth. His eyes were getting glassy and he was starting to sway back and forth, moans of pain tumbling from his dry lips.

From outside the door, Naoki heard a sharp intake of breath, followed by, 

"What the hell is going on in there?! Sono, open this fucking door! Whose in there with you?!"

Naoki could not stop the rise in octave as he yelled out, 

"Hanasaki-san, he's overdosing! He took too many of his pills and-!"

He couldn't finish his thoughts as he heard his friend let out a loud moan of agony, heaving for a few moments and soon, Naoki's left sleeve was near coated in bile, some dribbling from the teens mouth as he lulled his head back.

Panic changed into terror as Naoki knew how critical this was now becoming. And with all the movies he had seen in which this happened, he felt stupid for never paying close attention with how to fix this. Terror then changed to a petrified grasp as Sono started to close his eyes, or rather roll them back, the whites becoming more prominent.

"Shit! Sono, keep your eyes open! Look at me!....fuck...oh my god..."

Not a moment later after that, Naoki heard Kenji from behind the door, his anger changing to deathly concern.

"Open the door, Naoki! He has it blocked somehow! For fucks sakes, let us in!"

Naoki snapped his head to the door, catching the tail end of the yelling and saw what the man meant by the door being blocked. Without releasing his hold on his friend, he struggled to lean over to kick the chair out of the way, slipping as he did and winced when the chair fell to the floor with a loud crash. Almost immediately, the door was pushed open by Kenji, stance ready to kill, but stopped abruptly at the sight before him. Naomi came in after him, letting out a scream.

Naoki held his friend to his chest, ignoring their reactions, his hand still holding his friends, feeling how cold he was getting. He started crying out,

"Call an ambulance! Please!"

Naomi ran into the other room quickly, leaving Kenji standing there in dumbstruck horror, unsure of what to do before he started backing out of the room to follow his wife.

By the time Naomi had called an ambulance, Sono was starting to mumble incoherently, his body twitching occasionally and his eyes continued to roll in the back of his head. His lips were moist with drool and bile, but dry at the same time...his skin was getting colder.

Naoki felt his heart cracking deeper into his gut. He tried his hardest to keep his calm, knowing that if he started freaking out, Sono wouldn't make it.

He cupped the back of the blonds head with his free hand, not wanting to let go of his friends hand for a second.

"Stay with me, Sono, stay with me. You're gonna be alright, I promise. Just stay with me, man. Don't leave me like this."

Finally, the blond began to mumble louder. Naoki almost couldn't hear him at first, but once he pulled the blond closer to him, he could hear his wet voice gasp out,

'Don't let go.'

A sad smile graced Naoki's lips, hugging his friend tight and whispered,

"I'm not letting go of you. You're my best friend, Sono...I'm never going to let you go. Just as long as you don't leave me. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for not being there when you needed me. I'm sorry for lecturing you. Just don't go. If you left me now...I..I don't know what I'd do."

There was a loud noise from down the hall, almost like a door was slammed open and the teen started to lift his head to the bedroom door. The second he looked up, Naoki saw Kenji running in with a blanket, getting to his knees and wrapping the blond in it, pulling him from the teens embrace, picking him up in his arms and wasted no time in saying,

"They're taking too long; get in the car. We'll take him ourselves."

Seeing no reason to argue, Naoki got to his feet and followed Kenji down the stairs to the garage, where Naomi was already in the drivers seat, gripping the wheel and waited for the boys to get in before speeding from the driveway to the highway.

Naoki sat in the backseat, eyes glued to his friend, who was settled in his fathers lap, still wrapped in a blanket and the older teen noticed how...tight the mans hold on the boy was. He could hear Sono mumbling even from where he sat, but he took notice of how Kenji would rub his back, kiss his hair, whispering,

"Keep talking. You'll be alright...just keep talking."

It was something Naoki didn't expect from all this. He had always heard that Sono and his father had a terrible relationship...ever since Kenji found Takeo on his son and assumed the worst. At least, that's how Takeo told it. But now that he was this close to all that was going on, this didn't look like a father who hated his son for being in love with another boy...he was always told that Kenji was abusive, either emotionally or mentally. And maybe he was.

But right now, he looked like a terrified father, holding his son, who was currently overdosing in his lap, calmly begging him to keep speaking as much as could.

By the time Naomi had reached the hospital, Sono had gone quiet...terribly quiet. Naoki couldn't recall anything that happened after they ran into the Emergency Room. All he could see every time he closed his eyes was the nurses wheeling his best friend into the hospital, seeing how pale he had gotten and how...stone still he was.

He couldn't get the image out of his head.

 

\--

 

It was closing in around 8 pm. Naoki had to call him father and tell him what happened, almost blown away by the fact that he didn't break down into tears, though the feeling was deep in his throat.

Huri was also horrified to hear the news, but Naoki hung up before he could say anything else. In truth, he was surprised the Hanasaki family was allowing him to stay this long with them. But maybe they didn't notice him. Naomi was doubled over in her chair, tears streaming down her face all while Kenji rubbed her back, telling her that it was going to be alright.

The teen shuddered; he should've been there sooner. He should've swallowed his pride and went to see his friend sooner than later...he could've prevented this. He could have saved his best friend from being attacked by his own pills. Naoki made a quick mental note to throw those away if his mom or dad didn't get to them first.

Time was starting to become his least favorite factor right now. His eyes would stare at the door leading to the hospital rooms, begging for a doctor to come out and tell them that Sono was going to to be alright. He prayed that his friend was alive.

He'd never forgive himself if he allowed Sono to die this way. He cared for him too much to let him go like this...

His hand gripped his locket and he pressed his lips to it, wondering if he should call Takeo and let him know what was happening. He pondered it for a moment, immediately forgetting it entirely when he heard the door open and a doctor walked out, stepping towards the Hanasaki parents, who jumped to their feet quickly.

The doctor was brief, thank god; had they not gotten here when they did, Sonos heart would have shut down. They pumped his stomach and had him release everything in him from the last few days, which, concerningly, was almost next to nothing excluding the amount of medication in his system.

The doctor informed them that Sono was malnourished and dehydrated, combined with the amount of high stress and anxiety he put his body through, topped with the overdosing and even he was shocked the teen was still alive after all that.

He told them the teen was resting now, being pumped with an IV and had requested, rather weakly, to see someone named Naoki. And damnit all, was the older teen not ready to face his friend after all that.

Naomi hugged him and told him to go, they they'd take him home later if he wanted. When he walked past Kenji, he looked up at him and heard him say,

"I'll have someone take your car home...just see if he's ok."

He certainly didn't need to be told twice; he followed the doctor to the blonds room, opening the door and held back a sob as he walked up to his friends bed, sitting in the chair next to it, taking his friends hand and rubbed his knuckles, feeling how clammy he was.

Eventually, he saw those eyes open and turn to look at him, almost too tired to look shocked. Naoki smiled at him, lifting his hand to kiss his knuckles, as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

He didn't know what to say; hell, what could he say after the emotional cluster fuck that just happened? It all came and went so quickly that Naoki was almost sure it was all a dream that he'd be waking up from later.

But the way his friend was looking at him, so tired and confused, but with a deep hint of shame in those brown orbs, Naoki couldn't look away from him. Tears pooled in his own eyes as he held back another sob, smiling and said,

"Welcome back, sleeping beauty."

Please...please for the love of god, let Sono be well enough to be snarky back. Because if he wasn't, if he closed his eyes, Naoki wasn't too sure if he could handle it. He could already feel the water in his eyes well up and threaten to let loose.

Like a blessing, Sono gave a weak chuckle, followed by a cough, mumbling,

"It's because I'm blond, isn't it?"

Fuck, there were the water works. Naoki let out a laughing sob, hugging his friends hand to his face, kissing his thumb, almost feeling his heart jump right back into his chest when he watched his friend blink a few times before struggling to sit up in bed, with Naoki helping him by pressing his free hand against his lower back.

Never did he let go of his other hand, gripping it tightly, almost linking their fingers together. When he finally got the blond sitting up in the hospital bed, Naoki got up from his chair and sat right next to his hip, getting so close to him, itching to hug him...and probably hit him. But judging by the bright red mark on his cheek, it seemed as though his father had...already done that earlier. The mere idea made the teen shudder, his smile fading instantly and gripped his friends hand tighter, lowering his head to stare at their hands, thumb lightly rubbing his skin.

Through his tired, hazy gaze, Sono could feel the level of anxiety nearly radiating from his best friend. He felt the same deep down in his stomach and it lifted to his lungs and heart. Then again, he felt lightheaded after being forced to vomit up his pills nearly 3 times. He was more tired than usual and all he wanted was to sleep. And most likely never wake up.

But with Naoki here, after what he saw, everything he witnessed tonight..Sono truly wanted to just die.

There was nothing but silence between them, nothing but the sound of a heart monitor beeping softly, the occasional drip of the IV attached in the blonds arm. The bright lights of the hospital room made Sonos head hurt worse than it already felt, pressing his free hand against his temple to try and ease the throbbing. He let out a soft whimper, hopefully low enough so Naoki wouldn't hear him.

The grip on his hand tightened so much that he winced, but when Naoki finally looked up at him after so long, his wince turned into a look of distress. He hated the look he was being given, those brown eyes looking so deflated and betrayed while Sono knew his own eyes were exhausted and listless.

And finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Naoki opened his mouth, venom dripping from his tone,

"I should freaking kill you for putting me through that...or rather lock you in a box and throw away the key...goddamnit, Sono, you scared the hell out of me..."

The crack in his voice...the way his eye twitched...Naoki's mood was shifting from terrified to furious; Sono felt it in seconds and he tried to back up in his bed, but had no where to go. Naoki actually scooted closer, brown eyes bore into bloodshot as he asked him, as calm as he could,

"Why? Just why?"

The blond didn't know how to respond to such a thing, simple as it was. He turned his head away, biting his lip in the midst of his nerves, but Naoki was having none of it. He lightly gripped Sonos chin with his other hand, slowly turning his head back towards him, locking eyes and scooted closer. Pretty soon, his knee was touching the blonds thigh and the way he was looking at him...it hurt the blonds heart, cutting deep.

Soon, Naoki removed his hold on the blonds chin, instead lightly gripping his shoulder, asking once again, though a bit louder,

"Tell me why you did that. Why did you take all those pills? I have those to you because you said you needed them to help with your panic attacks...did...did you lie to me? Have you just been taking more and more each day when no ones around? Do you really want to die so soon? Damnit, tell me! Tell me why I almost lost my best friend tonight! Tell me why I walked in on such a horrifying scene..."

Sono wasn't talking, nor did it look like he even wanted to. He was curling in on himself, quietly trying to pull his hand away and the older teen froze ever so slightly...Naoki was losing him, he could see it a mile away. Panic settled in and finally removed his friends hand so he could cup both cheeks in his shaking hands, settling his forehead against the blonds golden bangs, trying hard to breath through his own breaking voice.

All the while, Sono closed his aching eyes when he felt Naokis head on his, taking in the deep emotion of his friends worries and fears. He had never once seen him act this way, not towards anyone, not even to characters of the movies he loved so much...not even to Ami. The fact that he was the one seeing Naoki in such a state made his heart swell just a little, but not enough to call himself happy.

Sono was far from happy; he was miserable, depressed, on the edge of a break down. Tonight was the apex of his hatred for everything he was, everything he became. He stood up to his own mother when he knew she was just worried for him. He snapped back at his father, earning a soon to be bruise on his left cheek. Everything was falling apart on him and he wasn't sure what to do with himself. After the fight in the dining room and locking his parents out, Sono had a pretty solid sense of wanting to just...end it there.

It made sense to him, anyway. What was the point anymore? Takeo forced him to break up with him over something he wasn't sure he understood. His own brother left him when he could've fought back, but didn't.

And now both his parents were livid at him. His father he could handle; he had always handled it for years, even if it hurt more every time. But his mother? That hurt him the most. Though having Naoki be a spectator to his near suicide by pills was the icing on the cake.

God....he had never felt more alone than tonight.

However, throughout this whole thing, one thought stuck deep in his mind and that's the thought he closed in on. Naoki actually came to his house....climbed his window...wanted to see him, though he ruined that quickly.

And now he was here, in his bed with him, holding him like he was terrified to let go. The warmth of Naoki's hands on his face were the most comforting thing in his world right now. He felt his heart slowly start to feel full again just because Naoki was actually here for him. He wasn't even expecting him to be in the waiting room when he asked the doctor for him.

But he was in the waiting room...he stayed for him, to see if he was alright...it was true that Sono felt so alone recently and tonight made it more painful for him to handle...but Naoki was here with him. His best friend in this world...the only person he could trust and count on.

With shaking hands, Sono reached up to place his hands on his friends, sharing in the warmth while his hands were slightly chilled, tears pooling in his closed eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Naoki....I'm so sorry...I never wanted you to see that...I didn't want anyone to see that...I just...I..."

The whimper that Sono let out when trying to talk about his feelings was a sound Naoki was very used to. Though, this wasn't the time for them to be so secrative. He almost lost his friend today. All because he wasn't there for him, he was certain of that.

But he couldn't make this about him. He had to be his friends rock right now. Sono was sinking hard and Naoki needed to be the one to pull him back up. He always had to be the one to lift his spirits...when Takeo should've been the one to do so.

While keeping his head against the blonds, Naoki whispered to him,

"It's ok...I'm not mad. You just scared me...I..I wanted to apologize to you for today. You were right; I was treating you like a fragile doll. I shouldn't be lecturing you about anything...I wanted to stop by and tell you how I felt about our fight...but..I heard your parents yelling and there was a lot of back and forth between you and your dad...and then to see you surrounded by those pills...the look of panic all over your face...I've never been so scared in my whole life. All I could think about as I held your hand was 'what if I lose him? I'll be losing one of the only people I truly care for. I can't do that.'...you're my best friend; I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something happened to you while I couldn't prevented it...I'm sorry...I'll never question you again, just please...don't do this...not again. If you need someone, anyone, just to talk to, cry not, vent to...you know I'm always there for you. I promised I would be.."

He could feel Sonos whole body trembling from the force of keeping his tears back, even though some of those tears leaked through his closed eyes, running over Naokis hands. The older teen kept his eyes on his friend, wiping his eyes with his thumb, feeling his own skin shaking from the heavy emotions roaring through his body.

Finally, he removed his forehead from the blonds, feeling some of his damp bangs collect from the sweat, Naoki leaned over to press a soft kiss to his friends sweaty forehead, immediately feeling the blond relax in seconds.

It was friendly kiss, one to show trust and good health between them, but deep down, Naoki felt this was much more than that. This was not just to show Sono how truly sorry Naoki felt for everything that happened in the last few years, his neglect and seeming disinterest when that was far from the truth.

This kiss was something Naoki could not describe. He could feel the overpowering sense of protective pride and love coursing through his skin. Never before had a person made him feel this way. It was a feeling he felt, or felt reserved to feel, for his girlfriend.

Just knowing this feeling was coming from his best friend...it was...odd. Not bad...just odd.

Breaking away from his friends head, he moved some of those damp bangs from his face and said,

"Look at me, rich boy. Tell me you're alright."

And he did. Sonos wet eyes opened and Naoki smiled at him, continuing to wipe any stray tears away, pulling him closer to his chest, rubbing his hair, saying,

"If you even think of pulling a stunt like this again...so help me god, I'll lock you up and swallow the key."

His heart did flips when he felt Sono chuckle into his shirt, even more when he felt trembling hands grip the back of his shirt. Finally...things were good again...at least, for now.

There was still the matter of Sonos home life to think about. He wasn't sure how his parents would react once they saw him after all this. Would they hurt him? Oh god, would his father hit him again? Naoki recalled the story of how Takeo was a witness to that first night of abuse.

He wasn't sure if he would just sit back and let it happen...but then, he couldn't let Sono see him angry...not now. Hopefully, not ever.

Not willing to put that thought further in his mind, he hugged his friend tighter, inhaling the smell of his golden hair, whispering, 

"I'm so happy you're alright..."

Sono nodded in his chest, whispering in return,

"I'm happy you're here with me, Naoki. I think..seeing your face at that moment...it made me regret my choice instantly...but I couldn't stop it....I didn't want to leave you..."

In the weirdest parts of Naoki's head, he could foresee a situation in which Sono was truly left alone and not by his own choices. The blond was scared, horrified and helpless...the thought made his blood boil. If there were ever a time for Naoki to start being the friend he needed to be for the blond, it was going to start once again here and now. 

He'd be damned if he allowed the person he cared for to get hurt because he was being...well....whatever it was he felt he was being.

Running his hand through Sonos yellow hair, Naoki stared at the wall ahead of him, whispering right in his ear,  

"You're not going to...neither will I."

"You promise?"

"You have my word."

 

\--

 

Naoki was dropped off an hour later by Naomi, who had cleared her face of tears after seeing her baby boy in that hospital bed. The teen could see how hurt the woman was after the nights events; it burned in his skull all night, even as he lounged in his bed.

Naomi was crying the majority of the night, Kenji almost refused to look at his son, nearly in shame and probably disgust...Naoki almost called him out on it, but kept his tongue locked all while discretely holding his friends hand, even while the family decided to NOT tell Oto or Miyuki about this night. He could tell Sono felt even more deflated at that; another stupid secret to weigh him down.

God, he did not want to leave his friends side, hell, he almost refused. But Sono told him he'd be at school the next day, something he wasn't counting on, but agreed all the same.

Unsurprisingly, Sono did not show up for school the next day. Nor did he show the next day either. Naoki was a mess with worry, loading up all the school work he could for the blond.

For two days, he went to his friends house, straight to his room and helped him with his school work, not minding in the slightest when Sono would curl up against his chest, near sleep and leaving the older teen to finish.

Naoki would smile at him, nuzzle his head and settle him in bed, almost spooning him as he rested. When he would wake up, Sono would blush and spout off apologizes, none of which Naoki allowed himself to worry about.

For two days, Naoki ignored basketball practice, ignored Ami and her friends, all for the sake of his best friend. And he knew Sono would give him grip about it later, how he shouldn't ignore other important things in his life.

In the past, when hearing something similar to that, Naoki would laugh his usual laugh and say

'Oh please, you're one of the many things that's important to me!'

But now....now it all seemed so different. Naoki wouldn't laugh...at least not in his usual way. He would smile and press a soft kiss to his friends head, not caring that he was blushing bricks, and whisper to him in a tone very unlike him,

'You're more important than anything right now...'

It was something he was never expecting to say to anyone and he found that just uttering it to his best friend in the world made him proud. Like he didn't care who knew how much he adored his dearest friend.

After those two days, Sono came back to school and noticed very quickly how attached Naoki had become to him. He would put aside everything just to hang out with him, how protective he seemed now.

It also made the most sense that literally no one in the school knew of his suicide attempt; Naoki made damned sure not to let that slip to anyone, not even Ami.

But during that last period of the day, Naoki could tell the blond was unusually giddy about something. And it wasn't until the end of the day that he found out what.

They had retreated to the back of the school to talk, Naoki almost nervous as to why the hell Sono was smiling so damn big....with his hands behind his back.

After some comforting silence, Sono lifted a folded card in between two fingers, his smile broad as he asked, bluntly,

"Wanna be my date for my brothers wedding?"

Naoki's heart imploded in seconds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is like....a stupid chapter. By stupid, I mean stupid short. 
> 
> But I needed to post this because I know I'm going to get really behind if I don't, also because I have a terrible sense of scheduling. That and I felt it was much better to give you something rather than nothing. 
> 
> I promise a better chapter next time!

_-July-_

 

There was something...weird going on in the city.

Police were suddenly everywhere at any given moment, more so than usual. Children had started to get escorted home by teachers, something that was only really done in a state of emergency. The subway systems were now going a strict schedule and stopped all services after 10 pm.

Curfews were now going into affect; middle school students had to be home before 8 pm while high schoolers had until 10. It would've been fine had it not been for the police suddenly picking up many students sneaking out of their homes after hours and having said students suddenly go on a probation sort of punishment.

The entire uptown of Fukushima seemed to be in some sort of panic, but over what, no one knew. The chief of police made a statement just before the most recent....problem, as they called it, was discovered.

It went viral in mere seconds on the internet; news stations were blowing up with reporters hunting for more information. Never before had something like this happened before and just the mere idea of it happening in Fukushima of all places.

It was practically unheard of.

Chief Orioko made his announcement as brief as he could, even though the reporters would not stop badgering him with questions even after he made it very clear to every one the same thing he told the press weeks before.

"Recently, we've been getting reports of some...rather horrific variety, as I am sure many of you are aware. Murders have been taken place all throughout the city and I am positive in saying the Fukushima police force is doing everything we can to find the culprits responsible-"

_"Is that so!? I don't think you've done nearly enough! What do I have to do to get justice for my daughter?! Did she really deserve such a terrible death?! Did she?!!"_

It was the same at every conference and the chief felt horribly perturbed by the outbursts coming from parents, all who lost their children in the wake of this chaos. While he had no children to speak of, he could appreciate all the pain and agony these people have suffered over the hands of men or women they have yet to even gain evidence on.

Each crime scene was the same; terribly mangled bodies, all positioned in some strange way or pose, but literally nothing to accuse anyone of anything. Surveillance was always wiped clean, no fingerprints to speak of...these kids...they were all just starting their lives. Many of them were university students, just beginning their adulthood. It was sick and Orioko had nothing more to say on the matter.

There was nothing. Absolutely nothing on these murders.

So it didn't come as a shock to anyone that people had become outraged at the lack of justice being served to whoever it was that was committing all these crimes. Motives were hard to determine with little to zero evidence on the cases themselves. 

People lined up outside the many district stations, demanding the police do something before their children could be the next victims. Orioko didn't dare to think about the possibility of more victims turning up and being so young. 

But he understood the rising concern; their most recent call was not on a university student like he had thought originally, but a young high school boy, I.D. already confirmed and family notified...to obviously hysteric callbacks. 

The boy couldn't have been more than 16 years old...an honor student at Minami High School. 

It was such a shame. 

There was no telling when this started. It just...happened out of no where and with no signs of slowing down. 

_-September-_

Chief Orioko resigned from his position following the death of young Suzuku Ida, another honor student of a prestigious high school, all set to go to university in Osaka, with his parents using all his savings for the funeral and activists groups to hunt down the murderer. 

It happened in the span of an hour, one rare witness said. That young Ida was making his way home from the small grocery mart and was pulled into an old building by someone in a jacket and hood. Screams were heard and the police were quickly called, but they made it far too late. The boy was dead, arms broken in three places and a stab wound in his chest. 

His father committed suicide two days before the funeral, with his wife saying that without his son in his life, it was much too hard to keep going. She gave her sons eulogy and mentioned her husbands death, saying how this event destroyed their family in just a matter of 33 hours. 

This caused the public to run Orioko out of the city, claims that he sat around and did nothing to solve these crimes. Maybe he didn't. But with him gone, the police turned to higher factions for support. 

Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, they all sent in special members of their own police forces to assist. But every case turned up dry. 

The city was in a panic, but at the same time, they refused to talk about it. Some continued to live their lives as was, while others joined groups for the arrest of the murderer. It was hard to say how and when this started, but one thing was for certain. 

Japan hadn't seen panic like this in many years. And with the police constantly coming up empty with every death, with more young bodies piling up every few weeks, the people were starting to lose their faith in the justice system as a whole. 

By the near end of September, the reports stopped and people stopped being so surprised to hear of another death. Sure, there was still shock, horror and disbelief, but it had become so tedious to constantly go to the police. 

Especially since the police were now running a current report on a missing person rather than a dead person, which, as sick as it sounded, was a short break away from the constant deaths that kept popping up. 

So, while the deaths continued to take place every so often, the police alternated their time between trying to locate the culprit and also trying to solve the missing persons case of Shunsuke Mizuno.


	16. Chapter 16

_-November-_

 

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss your bride."

Oto wasted no time in nearly tearing off the veil covering Miyuki's face, kissing her ruby painted lips with such passion he didn't know he had. He could feel her chuckle into his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing back with such strong vigor, thin fingers digging into his yellow hair.

The church exploded in applause, cheers echoing the whole building. The pair had never felt so happy to have waited for this day as long as they had. 4 years of engagement was enough to test any couple, but Miyuki had been more than understanding about the wait.

It seemed worth it in the end anyways.

In the front pew, Sono felt his hands getting numb from clapping so hard, but he couldn't help it, nor could he help the smile plastered on his face. He felt so happy for his brother; this was something he wanted for years and even after all the shit that went on at home before he left, the younger blond was thrilled his brother finally got his happy ending.

In a sad way, he envied his brother in more ways he hated thinking about. Oto was so smart and so handsome, prideful in every way, never was afraid of anything. Now, he was married and was the happiest he had been in years. Sono craved what his brother had and just the thought brewing in his head made him slow his clapping just a touch.

A smack on his upper back made him jolt from his thoughts, head turning to face Naoki, who was smiling at him, more like grinning, and somehow, it changed Sonos thoughts almost at an instant. He grinned back and resumed his clapping, knowing that he shouldn't be jealous of Oto and Miyuki. They deserved this. Years of them being together had brought them closer and now that they were married, nothing would drive them apart.

It was about 40 minutes later that the entire party migrated to the main hall for the reception, which held delicious foods and desserts surrounding a beautiful white and pink wedding cake, 3-tiers and almost glittery in decor. Many people were dancing with each other, others were eating and socializing with the bride and groom, including their families. Miyuki's parents were in a deep conversation with Naomi and Kenji, who both looked absolutely ravishing in their dress clothing.

Naomi was dressed in a bright pink silk dress that complimented her pale skin and golden hair, which was done up in a tight bun with some light waves. Kenji was suited in a black and red combination with black dress shoes and his hair was slicked back just a little. Oto almost looked just like him, nearly like clones.

Sono stood by the dessert table, slowly drinking his cup of soda water, observing his parents and how they acted around Oto...he scowled a little. He was still bitter over what transpired that night, even if it was a few months ago.

He and his mother made up; that took no time at all. She had come into his hospital room crying as she hugged him, his tired eyes averting to his best friend, who stayed by him the entire time until he was taken home. She apologized over and over, kissing his aching head and he couldn't find it in himself to be angry, not when he was so exhausted.

When his parents brought him home, he refused to speak to either of them for days, only breaking when his mother came in to collect his laundry, sitting with him in bed when she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. They talked for a while; Naomi was more worried over her sons health than the fact that he lied to her. It was enough for Sono to break even, but he was still salty over it. Especially since Kenji had yet to say anything to him...the bastard that he was.

Sighing, he took another sip of his drink and shifted his eyes to his new sister in law...he knew she was pretty. She always had been. He wouldn't lie if he said he didn't use to have a tiny school boy crush on her when he was younger. How could he not? She was sweet, loving and scary smart, with her combined education from both Italy and Japan.

Not to mention she had grown into such a beautiful woman. It was almost mind blowing how much she had grown. And it certainly showed at this moment, her glow giving it away.

She was dressed in blinding white wedding gown, something one would expect from a mermaids tail. It complimented her figure nicely, making her skin glow under the bright lights. Her black hair was styled in loose curls, some of her hair pined up in a braid like style, making her bright eyes shine like stars.

Again, Sono sighed, looking into his almost empty cup, feeling a pinch on envy hit him again. He found himself wishing he could be like his brother, so charismatic enough to find such a wonderful person to spend his life with.

He found his mind drifting to Takeo for a moment, curious as to where he was and if he was doing well. It had been months since he dropped out of school, no one hearing from him or even seeing him in town.

It made him nervous and he wasn't sure why.

He wasn't sure how long he was spacing out for, but all it took was the sight of a blue glass moved into his line of sight to nearly make him jump a foot in the air, hearing a loud laugh and earned another slap to his shoulder.

Gods, what was making him so jumpy?

"Relax, richy. I just thought you'd like another drink. You looked all kinds of spacey over here...everything ok?"

Naoki...it was only Naoki. Sono let out a sigh of collective relief, setting his empty cup down on a nearby stool and took the new glass from his best friend, noticing how badly his hands were shaking. Naoki must've noticed it too, otherwise he would not have been given a look of concern.

It had been a long week, that was for sure. Several exams were coming up and it was only by sheer luck that this wedding fell on the Saturday that Sono and Naoki did not have to attend classes. The overall mood between the two boys was something else as well, considering all that happened just...months ago now.

Sono hated thinking about it; he hated those images of his best friend having a near panic attack after seeing him in the state he was in. He hated the way those dark eyes locked with his as he held his hand through the entire ordeal. He felt like such a fool. No amount of hurt in his own head was worth the look Naoki gave him through it all.

The blond took a slow sip from the glass, already aware it was not soda water, but it was sweetened black tea with honey and mint. Sono smiled as he drank; damn, Naoki knew him too well.

Naoki smiled back at him, wrapping his arm around his shoulder, catching his gaze and followed it to his parents and his brother. Almost immediately, his smile faded to a scowl. Now it made sense why the blond was standing here alone and with a very vague look in his eyes. Naoki could see it all the way from across the room, he could feel it in his chest just staring at him.

The teen exhaled through his nose, inwardly cursing at his friends father for the way things had played out. Kenji hadn't said a damn word to him since that night, not one. Even when Naomi apologized left and right for something Naoki was damned convinced she could never understand, the man said nothing. All he could do was look at Sono with a look of disappointment and...shame.

If anything, that's what pissed Naoki off the most. He recalled sitting next to his friend, gripping his hand under the blankets as the doctor went over the blonds vitals, tips on how to handle situations like this, all while Naoki waited for Kenji to say something, but he never did. He saw how scared the man was when Sono was literally near death on his bedroom floor...why was he so quite at the hospital?

He shook his head; now wasn't the time to think about that. Today was a good day, after all. And so he looked back at his friend, who still looked at his family with a longing look. Naoki chose to not ask the obvious, instead going for,

"You feeling alright? You looked lost when I saw you over here. Too noisy?"

The blond shook his head slowly, not really sure how to answer it at first, but after he gulped down his tea, he smiled and said,

"No no, I'm ok. Just...a little overwhelmed, I guess. I didn't think this day would get here this quickly, you know? My brother finally got married...he looks so happy...and...and I think I can feel all kinds of his emotions through me."

"Oh? That's unusual. Well, maybe not. You and Oto were always so close, so it makes sense you'd be connected on some sort of emotional level...what's it feel like? Butterflies?"

"Haha no, nothing like that. It's warm....like really warm. I can feel the love he has for Miyuki and it's like a comforting blanket...all tight and snug, but you don't want to leave it...like...nothing can hurt you when you're wrapped so tight...I know I don't know the full extent...but...it feels nice..."

Naoki smiled and leaned his head on the blonds hair, pulling him closer and patted his arm before turning to admire the dessert table, eyes falling on the gorgeous wedding cake. Oto and Miyuki hadn't cut into it yet, but had insisted on having smaller desserts for people to snack on before they eventually got around to it. So Naoki grabbed a small plate and began loading it with cookies and little mini cakes, nearly drooling at all the sweets.

From behind him, he heard a soft sigh and his friends voice say,

"Nao? Can I ask you something...kinda odd?"

"Shoot. What's on your mind?"

Sono didn't respond for a few seconds so Naoki turned to face the back of his head, noticing how he was starting to curl in on himself. He was trembling; Naoki knew that stance all too well. Setting his dessert plate down on the table, he walked back over and gripped his friends arms tight the way Sono felt comfortable with, steadying him as the blond said,

"Am..am I a terrible person to say that I'm jealous of my brother?"

Another pause, only lifted by the happy chatter of the surrounding people. Naoki tilted his head a little, a confused 'what?' leaving his lips. He felt Sono stop shaking and another sigh left the blond as he said,

"I've been feeling it all week and today, it's just been bugging me. I should be happy for him but at the same time, I feel so jealous. I don't know. I always thought that maybe one day...I'd be in this position too. I mean, that was before Takeo and even after meeting him and going what we went through...I was sure he and I could've...god, now that sounds stupid. Why am I getting so worked up over something so ridiculous. It's my brothers wedding and I'm fantasizing about my stupid ex who forced me to dump him....no doubt he'll find some way to twist that on me later, I know he will...But...still...the thought seemed so-"

His words were stopped when he heard a snort from behind him and when he snapped his head around, he watched Naoki throw his head back and laugh, pressing his hand against his chest as if to calm his heart. It almost made Sono mad at his friend for laughing, but judging by the way Naokis other hand was gripping his shoulder, it wasn't intended to be mocking.

After a few moments, the teen calmed down enough to wipe his eyes of stray tears, speaking through his ever so joyous chuckles, all while simply adoring the pout on Sonos face,

"You are too cute for words, you know that?"

Sonos pout deepened and Naoki had to clutch his stomach to hold in his laughter, gripping his friends shoulder harder as he straightened out, breathing through his laughs and said,

"You're wondering if it's wrong to be jealous of your older brother who literally just got married and is the happiest ever when that's what you want too? Haha, no, not really."

It was such a blunt answer. Sonos eyes widened and he glared at his best friend, almost insulted by the idea of it being normal to feel so envious over something so beautiful.

"Not really? But...but then why do I feel bad about this? I shouldn't be jealous; I should be happy. They put this off for so long and-"

All laughter stopped when Naoki forced Sono to fully face him, both hands on his shoulders and look deep into those brown eyes, feeling a force in them he hadn't gotten used to yet.

Considering this was Naoki, he was sure he wouldn't ever.

The older teen said with a stern tone, but a comforting one as well,

"Sono, you are happy, let's get that clear. But everything that built up to this point wasn't all great, so your head is twisting a bit. You want that happiness with someone and while you're more than thrilled for your brother, I can understand why you'd be a little green on the side."

One of his hands lifted from his shoulder to lightly smack his cheek, eyes glowing,

"As for Takeo, he's the last person you should be thinking about right now. Yes, he forced you into something you didn't want, but look at you now. You're thriving without him just fine, like I thought you would. I won't lie, it confused me too when he said he wanted you to be the one to do the...I guess the dumping...whatever word I'm looking for. The point is, it's been over for a long time. You know that and I know that. You're better off anyway. He was your first love and I get that those fantasies you had about a future with him are now crushed because he was stupid....like I said...you're much better off. And I think you need to feel this way to fully get over your doubts. You're jealous of your brother and that's normal."

Naoki moved so quickly that Sono almost didn't see it happen, but soon, he felt the teens arms wrap around his head, bringing him in close, his nose buried in his golden hair and whispered,

"You'll have your special someone soon, I know you will. Someone who will love you for everything you are, quirks and all."

God damnit all....Naoki knew just what to say, didn't he? Every word he spoke found its way into Sonos heart and he could feel it settling flames in his loins. He smiled and pressed his face into the teens chest, smelling his new cologne and gripped the back of his dress jacket.

How did he get so lucky to have such a great friend like him?

After a few moments, the two broke apart and Naoki grinned at him, seeing how the blond was blushing to his ears.

"Feeling better?"

"Heh, yeah...thanks, Naoki. I needed that. Still trying to figure myself out is becoming much easier with your pretty straight forward way of thinking."

"You can just say I'm the best. I already know it."

The boys started laughing and Sono lightly punched Naoki's arm, who then proceeded to act as though he had been shot, dramatic gasps and all, making the blond laugh harder and lean up against the nearest table.

After a few seconds of heavy breathing and Naoki rubbing his arm from Sonos unusually hard punch (light punch, sure), the older teen was grinning ear to ear and asked,

"So, how about he head outside for some air. Feeling kind of heady, you know. Plus, I could use a smoke."

Sono chuckled and brushed his pants legs, ignoring the comment about the smoke. Internally, he hated that Naoki suddenly started this gross habit, hating more that he picked it up from his own father during their past summer sales. Sono also knew that Ami absolutely loathed with Naoki would smoke during their dates, even if he tried not to, but if he were being honest with himself, he didn't mind it as much as he could have. Hated the idea, yes, but Sono wasn't going to involve himself if the situation didn't call for it.

So, he straightened up and shook his head.

"Nah, I'm ok now, you go on ahead. Besides, if she catches me walking out now before saying hi, she'll more than likely kill me."

"Who?"

Sono flushed again, earning another curious look from Naoki, but it didn't take him much longer to understand who he was talking about.

From across the room, loud enough to reach well over the loud chatter of people and music, came a passionate cry of

"GIARDINO!!!"

It was so sudden and so loud that the room went silent for a split second before Sono nearly fell forward with a gasp, suddenly feeling a heavy weight on his back and a kiss to his cheek. Naoki couldn't be bothered to hold back his laughter at this point.

"I was wondering why you were hiding from me, you little scamp. And to think, I went to the trouble of getting your favorite little cakes catered just for you....and you don't even come by to say hello to your new sister in law. Oh il dolore! (oh the pain) How you break my heart!"

The flush Sono had on his cheeks darkened to a deep red as Miyuki taunted him, but he smiled and laughed, lifting his hands to touch her arms, twisting his head to kiss her cheek in return, mumbling,

"S-sorry, Miyuki. Things have been kind of crazy and I just wanted to-"

"Oh hush, I understand. Oto told me everything. Phft, the nerve of that loser for breaking up with you....or however it went down. If you ask me, he wasn't good enough for you, Sono. You deserve someone who will treat you like the spoiled little monello (brat) you are."

Sono deadpanned for a moment at her words, chuckling ever so slightly and said,

"That...makes me feel better?"

Miyuki beamed at him, ruffling his hair and removed herself from him, saying,

"As well it should. But all jokes aside, I'm happy you're here, honey. It wouldn't have been a perfect wedding without you here."

Her smile faded a little as she looked the blond up and down a few moments, seeing now what Oto was referring to. Even under that cute little smile and hair, Sono was still horridly damaged and the business with his and Takeos breakup couldn't have been easy on him. First loves ending never were.

Truthfully, she was afraid Sono wasn't going to come. When she was sending her VIP invitations, she remembered Oto saying how he wouldn't blame his brother for not showing, how it might be awkward between the two of them and their father....how Oto still never forgave Kenji for the way he treated (and probably still treats) his younger son.

She had her doubts, but in the end, she was positive that Sono would show. And when she saw him in the front row, presumably with his friend, she almost started crying. She loved this boy like her own brother and wanted so badly to be there for him when he was younger, going through the hell he went through with Chino....she kept that thought to herself; Naomi and Kenji were not aware that she knew of that night. No doubt they'd be all over Otos case for it.

Finally, her smile returned as she hugged the teen, who hugged her back and heard him say,

"I wouldn't have missed it. You and Oto deserve this and more....and you look so pretty too. Like something I've drawn in one of my old sketches from middle school."

She chuckled at that, feeling so flattered by the comment and pulled away, sighing and set her hands on her hips.

"Well, now that the sappy congrats and whatnot are done, you want to introduce me to your....incredibly handsome friend?"

Naoki, who had been a spectator through the whole thing, was almost sure he could sneak away for a moment without being seen, but something about the way Miyuki and Sono talked to each other, it was like they were already siblings from years ago. It was no wonder they got along so well and how much Sono loved her. Really though, he couldn't look away.

So when he felt their eyes on him all of a sudden, he froze mid bite of his cookie and blushed, all while Sono blushed and laughed a little, getting up next to him and said,

"Miyuki, this is Naoki Nazawa, my....migliore amico (best friend)? Did I say that right?"

Now just what in the hell were those words that came pouring from Sonos mouth like wine? It was oddly entrancing and Naoki had to take another look at his friend before looking back at Miyuki, who was positively enraptured.

"That was perfect! Oh love, your speech has gotten better...oh right. Haha, where are my manners?"

She bowed a little before extending her hand out to Naoki, who looked at it confused, then back at Sono, who laughed at his stupidifed face and said,

"This is Miyuki, Nao. She's been with Oto for as long as I can really remember. They were the best of friends starting out and somewhere along the way, they just fell in love. She's like a sister to me anyway, so it made sense, you know? Anyways-"

"What language are you two speaking? It sounds amazing."

Sono flushed a little at that, but Miyuki snickered and twirled her black hair in her finger, saying with such cocky sass,

"That, my dear, is Italian. Did Sono not tell you I spent a good chunk of my childhood in Italy? Well, it doesn't matter. Haha. I became fluent in the language and when I was home in Japan and was with Oto, I would teach him and Sono the language. Kind of like our own secret thing, you know? Don't tell my husband this, but Sono is a much better student than him...but I think it's because he's an artist."

She pressed her pointer finger to her lips and both teens started chuckling to themselves, even as Sono caught sight of his brother walking towards them, a knowing smirk on his face. When he walked up, he said,

"Oh, so I'm the shit student, huh? That's not what you told me the day I proposed to you in full Italian. I believe your words were, 'oh my god that was so beautiful...holy hell yes I will marry you.' Does that sound famliar?"

Miyuki looked at the man and gave him a slightly scowl before smiling, saying,

"Oh shut up. You're stuck with me now, so you have to accept everything I say as fact. Nothing you can do about that."

Oto laughed loudly and straightened his glasses before looking at the teen boys in front of him, mainly his brother, and gave a soft smile. Sono smiled back, knowing already what Oto was thinking.

' _God knows how happy I am that you're here.'_

The brothers hugged each other tightly, Sono congratulating his brother and Oto kissing his brothers ear in response. It was now a perfect wedding; his whole family actually made it to the wedding and things were perfect. He was equally happy that Sono brought his best friend. At least he had someone to chat with during the rest of the reception.

_\--_

Several wonderful moments passed before Naoki and Sono excused themselves to get some fresh air, sitting under a nearby canopy, admiring the stars in the sky.

It may be November, but the air felt relaxing and cool, enough to take a nap under the black sky. The sound of silence outside was relaxing, save for the muffled noises of the reception inside.

Next to him, Naoki pulled out his pack of smokes, pulled out a cigarette, lighting it quickly, and blew the smoke the opposite direction so as not to hit his friends face. Sono smiled at his consideration, as always. Everything about Naoki lately was making him smile, he noticed.

How couldn't he, honestly? Naoki was always there for him when he needed him, especially nowadays. He had been practically attached to his hip since the overdosing incident and since then, Naoki always made Sono his priority over everything else. He almost felt he had to.

Sono wasn't unaware of the strain this put on the other aspects of his friends life; His basketball team, working with his dad, Ami...

Oh god, Ami was a big one. No doubt she was getting fed up with not being able to spend time with her boyfriend just because his best friend was...a little fucked in the head, if that was one way to put it. And Sono was trying so hard to get to a point where he didn't require so much of Naoki's attention so she could have him to herself at some point.

But every time he brought it up with Naoki, the teen would not negotiate with him. It was almost as if he was trying to avoid Ami, favoring his friend over her and Sono wasn't sure he liked being the third wheel in...whatever this was.

He sighed quietly, looking back at the building, seeing people having fun through the glass windows, more so Oto and Miyuki dancing with each other and teasing the hell out of one another. It was....really sweet, the blond thought. He craved something similar, but knew that his brain should be focused on his studies, his art; he wanted so badly to get into a good art school and needed to buckle down soon. Hell, it was already November. It was almost crunch time...

His brown eyes peered up at Naoki for a moment, watching him slowly inhale his smoke and exhale like it was nothing. It was then Sono took an even longer moment to really look at his friend and how...dapper, he looked.

His brown mop of hair was slicked back just a touch, with some strands falling over his tanned face. He looked great in the black suit he was wearing...almost too great. He looked more like an adult than a teenager. And Sono wasn't oblivious to what was under those clothes. He had seen his friend shirtless many times. He truly developed over the years into a fine athlete.

He smiled; Ami was truly lucky.

"Will you stop that?"

The blond jumped in his seat at the sound of Naoki's very calm voice, thick with smoke, but those eyes looking at him with such a peircing gaze. Sono didn't need to ask what his friend meant. He never had to. Naoki could always read him like a book.

"Stop overthinking so much. I told you from the get go...you're my number one priority, rich boy. After that night, I can't imagine what would've happened had I not shown up when I did...you could've died...I could've lost my best friend in the world...I can't handle that...and as for Ami, she'll just have to deal with it. I told her what she needed to know...she knows how important you are to me..."

There was a shift in his tone that cause Sonos ears to perk ever so slightly, turning his gaze back to the sky, avoiding eye contact, but he didn't pry. He didn't feel it was his place to.

Though, he felt his hand being gripped suddenly and he gasped, snapping his head to look at their joined hands, Naoki gripping tightly, eyes never leaving his face.

Tension suddenly filled the air and Sono felt it becoming difficult to think straight. The way his friend was looking at him made his heart melt, why he wasn't sure. All he knew was he liked it. He liked it when Naoki held his hand like this, unafraid to show off how much he cared. He liked when Naoki would hug him or tease him or just all around be with him. He was the friend Sono wanted for years and now that he had it, he was afraid of it ending.

He'd have to make a mental note to ask Naoki again if he was going for a university in Tokyo.

Not even thinking of the implications, he cuddled closer to his friend, laying his head on his shoulder, inhaling the faint scent of cigarrette smoke. It was almost...soothing.

Meanwhile, Naoki finished off his smoke and crushed it under his shoe, leaning his head back and said,

"Maaaaan this was a fun wedding. Your brother knows how to throw a good party."

Without removing his head, Sono chuckled and said,

"Don't give him too much credit. I'll bet you anything Miyuki planned the majority of the reception. Oto's always been terrible at party planning. Did you know for his 13th birthday, he wanted to plan this big thing, but ended up just inviting his friends and ordering take out? All because he couldn't plan a party he wanted."

"Haha, that's actually kind of funny. For my 13th birthday, my dad and mom were still together and they spent so much time fighting that I snuck out of the house and made my way into a movie by myself. I actually had fun. Not a big party person anyway...what did you do for your 13th?"

"Mine?.....oh....nothing much...I um...wasn't feeling well, so I didn't do anything. Takeo was with his dad at the time and my family tried to make me feel better but...I just wanted to be alone."

"Were you sick?"

Sono didn't immediately answer that, closing his eyes and thought back to that day.

His 13th birthday started off fine, but went horribly wrong when he suffered a massive panic attack due to trauma at the store they were in, simply because a strange man (no doubt an employee) touched his shoulder and set his brain off in seconds. He locked himself in his room for 5 hours after that when they returned home, only coming out when he heard noises downstairs. When he made his way into the kitchen, his parents and his brother were there, shooting off confetti guns and singing happy birthday to him, as if nothing happened. He never felt so loved after such a strenuous day before, at least back then.

He smiled at the memory, shaking his head.

"I was kinda sick, but they made it better...they always do...used to, anyway...can we talk about something else?"

Naoki said nothing; he looked at his friend confused and a little concerned, but still said nothing. He just wrapped his arm around his friends shoulder and brought him closer, absentmindedly rubbing his shoulder, listening to the sounds of the people inside.

They were quiet for a few moments; Sono occasionally looked down to see that Naoki's other hand was fidgeting a little, which happened if he had something important on his mind. Or it could be because he just had a cigarette and was pushing down that level of adrenaline. Either way, the blond nuzzled his friends arm, looping his hand to grip Naokis, immediately feeling his finger tighten against his palm.

A thought then crossed Sonos mind, something he had been thinking about almost unusually often, but decided to play around with the idea.

Not only did he feel he needed to do this for himself....but perhaps for his family. Internally, he felt like doing what he thought about...would make his father love him again, or at the very least talk to him again.

He knew he needed a second opinion; he knew he needed his best friends input.

Looking up, he said,

"Naoki? Did you mean what you said? You know...about me...finding someone? I know it's a stupid thought but...since it's been a while...I was thinking...maybe I could...try to...meet someone. Maybe a girl, you know. Takeo was really my only experience with a relationship and look how that turned out...I don't know...it's--"

The unexpected squeeze of his hand made Sono stop mid sentence and gape for a second before looking back up at Naoki...his brown eyes widened in confusion.

He could not even begin to figure out the look on his friends face, weither it was anger or hurt, but something in Naoki's dark eyes did not seem to agree with Sonos thoughts. That only shocked the blond, but he couldn't tell why. But he also could see Naoki ever so subtlety biting his bottom lip....an act of nerves.

Hold on...Naoki Nazawa never got nervous about anything. Scared maybe, angry of course, but nervous? That just wasn't like him at all.

Immediately feeling his own nerves start to wrack into his body, Sono removed his head from Naokis shoulder and gripped his hand with both of his, trembling as he spoke,

"You're right....it is a stupid idea...I mean...look at me...I'm a paranoid, anxiety ridden loser. I don't have the people skills to even attempt to date anyone. Everything that happened...that could happen...it's just a bad thought....heh...even if I could date anyone, I wouldn't be able to please them, you know...I wouldn't know how..."

Sono realized he was close...very close to spilling some dangerous information to his only friend, information that could easily make Naoki resent him and send him back to square one, but he couldn't stop. The sheer panic settling into his loins was getting to him quickly. It made it worse when he felt Naokis gaze on him, dark eyes piercing, but he still couldn't stop.

"I've never told anyone this expect my brother but...I....I don't know what arousal is. I mean, I know WHAT it is, but I've never...explored myself. I thought it was disgusting and vile and every time I even dared to consider it, I felt horrible....all because of him...he did this to me and now, I can't even be a healthy teenager without...wanting to just...god, I just can't. I couldn't even let Takeo touch me without wanting to burn off the skin that he did touch. So what good would I be in a relationship with anyone else? I'm nothing but a walking panic attack. That's all I am...sorry. Forget I said any-mph!"

In the midst of the self negative rant Sono was going on about himself, Naoki was looking at him with utter disbelief. To hear that his best friend in the world thought this little of himself (something Naoki already knew of, but jesus)...he felt for him. Sono was right about one thing; Takeo was his literal only experience in relationships, so his idea of them could be a little unhinged.

But everything else...no, it wasn't right. Naoki nearly drowned out the parts he couldn't grasp and held onto the fact his friend really wasn't healthy....in the mind...in the body...in the soul...

In his heart. That had to be fixed immediately.

There was no second guessing his decision. Before Sono could finish his apology, Naoki gripped both his shoulders and brought him closer, the world around them suddenly slowing down as their lips connected, drinking in the gasp Sono made in response. In seconds, Naoki felt the blond tense, lock up like he was on trial, but he pressed harder, moving one of his hands to the back of his friends head, deepening their kiss, not willing to let go.

Meanwhile, any tears that Sono might have held back were now leaking down his cheeks, eyes wide with the sense of 'what the hell is happening right now.' Naoki was kissing him..

Holy hell, Naoki was actually kissing him. At his own brothers wedding no less.

What the hell is happening right now?

He tensed up, already feeling his defenses kick into gear as he wanted to get away, break this strange kiss and smack Naoki for even daring such an odd move. But he couldn't. He felt...warm. Safe and warm.

The teen tasted of smoke but it was mixed with the sweets he ate, the tea he drank, combined with the smell of his cologne, musky and soothing all at once and Sono felt his defenses slipping. He was starting to feel heady, relaxing, eyes finally softening and even reached up to grip Naokis upper arms, feeling one of those hands tangle in his yellow hair.

This was a feeling Sono had never really...felt before. This was nothing like kissing Takeo. With Takeo, in the beginning, it was sweet and new and exploritory, up until he could tell Takeo was getting impatient with him.

Naoki felt...like home. This kiss was full of passion and trust and understanding, a primal need to fix something internally, like soothing affection was the only cure. It was breathtaking...literally.

Finally, Naoki broke the kiss and backed up to look in his friends hooded eyes, both of them breathing heavily and slightly flushed. The older teen looked stunned with what he just did, but could not for the life of him find it in himself to give two shits about the regrets.

After a moment of silence, Naoki exhaled loudly and said,

"Are you done? Did we come out here to hear you spout some bullshit lies about yourself? Sono, I thought we went over this. I thought we agreed you weren't going to do this anymore. Not to yourself, you know better. You know you're worth everything to the people who love you. So why do you put yourself down like this? God...damn it all. I'm trying to help you through this, but I can't do that if you keep putting up this wall of self hate and bad thoughts. You know you can tell me anything, that's what I'm here for. You can trust me. I won't hurt you or judge you or even try to make you into something you're not and I certainly won't force you to do anything, but I'll be damned if I'm going to sit here and listen to you berate yourself like you're nothing. And then to relive that moment...that night, in my head, night after night...I can't lose you, Sono, I just can't. You're worth so much to me and you've been such a beacon in my life that I didn't know I needed."

Seriously...what in the hell was happening right now? Where was all this coming from? Did Naoki really have all these thoughts locked in his head, waiting for some moment to occur that was appropriate enough to bring out? Sono wasn't sure, but the way their eyes locked as Naoki spoke to him...his heart was throbbing.

Naoki didn't stop; he kept going, eyes blazing into Sonos own brown orbs. Each word he spoke sent shivers down his spine, not knowing what to say or do. Then when Naoki stopped to breath, that's when Sono finally spoke up, voice cracking under the immense tension of the situation.

"I...I don't understand. Where is all this coming from? I know you're worried for me, I get that. I worry for you too. But then to hear you say all these things, about how much I mean to you and how I'm some sort of light in your life...you're...you are my friend, my best friend and you're giving me a lot of weird signals here. I don't understand you sometimes....Naoki...why did you kiss me?"

The question was expected; the answer was certaintly not.

"Because I love you."

In that moment, Sonos heart dropped into his stomach, eyes wide and his skin felt...gross, his lips felt weird. There was a strange feeling in his gut he couldn't shake and he started to feel dizzy.

No...not now, not with Naoki. He couldn't have the same reaction he had with Takeo now...he couldn't. It wasn't the same.

Naoki saw the sudden shift in the blonds everything, his aura, his mood...he started to panic. He reached out and gripped his shoulder, trying to steady him, ask if he was alright. Sono smacked his hand away and leaped up from the bench, backing up into a tree and began hyperventilating, not doing much to ease the older teens worries. But when he tried to get closer, Sono would give him the most terrified look he had ever seen. And in those horror filled eyes, there a was glimpse of pain and anger.

It fueled his voice as he said, in a shakey yet broken tone,

"Don't touch me..."

\--

 

Hours went by, the reception over, Oto and Miyuki off on their honeymoon and the guests heading home.

Kenji and Naomi were kind enough to give Naoki a ride home so as not to walk in the what looked to be upcoming stormy weather, clouds rolling in over the night sky. Though, given what had transpired, not to anyone elses knowledge, Naoki would have preferred the walk home.

He and Sono had not said a word to each other ever since the blond demanded that Naoki not touch him. He kept true to that, feeling horribly confused, even as he sat in the backseat with his friend, watching him like a hawk. Sono refused to look back at him and it hurt him inside, to his core. He didn't realize how badly he fucked up this friendship by just...acting on his emotions.

When they pulled up to his house, Naoki thanked the adults for the lift and mentioned to the blond he'd text him later; Sono pretended to be asleep by the window and Naoki sighed silently, closing the car door and watched as they drove off. He walked into the house as quickly as he could, knowing his dad was still working the late night shift with his team and took this time to walk upstairs, wanting to get out of his suit and lay in bed.

He walked into his bedroom....and froze at the sight of Ami sitting on his bed, legs crossed and a dark glare in her blue eyes. She was dressed in her cheer leading captain uniform and that's when the gears clicked in the teens head.

Holy crap, she caught on quick; he had missed her competition with her squad and had told her he was working with his dad before going to a wedding. She knew he was going to miss her performance; why was she giving him a look?

He knew what was coming. Of course he knew. This was something that should have happened a long time ago.

She sighed loudly.

"We need to talk."

"Yeah, I'd say we do."

\--

It was a short drive home after dropping Naoki off, but Sono still found himself actually falling asleep in the backseat, drowning out whatever conversation his parents were having. This night had turned out to be one of the most confusing nights in his teen years. He felt hurt and lost and didn't know what to think, aside from what was already going through his mind.

Naoki kissed him...Naoki said he love him...what did that even mean?

He didn't get much time to think it over since they pulled into the driveway and Kenji turned off the car, mentioning for Naomi to go inside first. No sooner had she left the car and Sono unbuckled his seat belt, he heard a very dark sound from the driver side.

"Sono.."

God, is that what his father sounded like now when he spoke to him? It was almost unreal now and the blond tensed wildly, slowly looking at his fathers eyes through the rear view window. It was quiet for a few seconds; Sono started to wonder if his father was finally going to start talking to him now, maybe....maybe clear the air and-

"I saw that Oto was giving you odd looks tonight...you didn't tell him about...your little incident, did you?"

Oh.

Oh...of course he'd be concerned about that. Sono didn't feel the least bit surprised, to be honest. In fact, he felt angry. Tired, but angry all the same.

All he said before roughly opening the car door and removing himself from the situation was,

"No...I didn't. Why would I?"

before slamming the door shut and walked into the house, ignoring his mothers questions if he was alright and just ran to his room, shutting the door and locked it, the mere motion still surprising since his parents didn't remove the lock on his door.

He didn't waste any time before tearing off his suit and pants before changing into his sleep clothes, suddenly in no mood to shower anymore. He crawled into bed, plugged his phone into the charger and turned off the light, staring at the ceiling....and immediately, the thoughts came to him.

He should have caught the signs, he should have known the signals that were being shot at him by his best friend. But how could he have known that Naoki felt so deeply, THAT deeply, for him...him, of all people. How could he have missed it?

It was true. Naoki had been....acting odd since that night. He always would say that he's taking a more active interest in his best friend, wanting to be there for him the way he wasn't before. At school, Naoki would walk with him every where, keeping a close eye on anyone who would look at Sono with even a glimpse of ill-intent. Those dark brown eyes could rip death asunder if given the chance.

They would eat lunch together on the roof or in the back of the school, taking bites off each others meals, not noticing how people were giving them weird looks. Sono didn't care and neither did Naoki. They were friends, what did it matter?

Well...that's where Sonos head would get fuzzy, especially now. Considering Naoki was literally the ONLY friend he had ever had (not excluding Takeo of course), he had always assumed this was how friends acted around each other, so close, so in tune with each other.

According to some of the other kids, he was apparently mistaken....very mistaken.

There was a time he was in the library, looking for more manga history books to delve into, when he heard quite an odd conversation in the isle in front of him. He wasn't even trying to overhear the two girls talking...it's just...somehow he felt he had to.

_"So, did you see the game last night? I heard Nazawa-kun scored the winning point once again."_

_"Ahhhh he's sooo cute! He looks so handsome in his jersey and when he plays....have you seen him around school though? Ugh, so obliviously attractive. It's not fair. Minora-chan is so lucky to have him."_

_"Well, I wouldn't say that. Rumor is that Nazawa might be cheating on her with someone else. And you'll never guess who."_

_"What?! I don't believe that for a second. Nazawa-kun is just so...likeable. He wouldn't do something so cruel as...well...who is it exactly? Is it another cheerleader?"_

_"No...it's...are you ready for this?....rumor has it he's secretly dating Hanasaki-kun."_

_"....Now I really don't believe that....no, that can't be true. Hanasaki-kun? But...he's a guy. Not only that, isn't he like...suicidal or something?"_

_"How should I know? Another rumor is he was sent to a looney hospital over something major years ago. Why else would he look so sullen and miserable? To think Nazawa-kun would be interested in that."_

_"I think you may be wrong though. Aren't they just good friends?"_

_"Oh come on, you've seen how they are together. Nazawa-kun is always by Hanasaki-kuns side, no matter what. Nazawa-kun is always ignoring practice and even Minora-chan. I mean, when was the last time you saw the two of them together without fighting? I'm telling you. He's secretly with Hanasaki-kun."_

_"I doubt it. I think they're just close friends....but now that I really picture it...oh...Oh! Oh that's weird. Nazawa-kun could do better if he were really interested."_

_"Amen to that. Hanasaki-kun is nice and all. He's just....not Naoki's type."_

Not...Naoki's...type. Just what was that supposed to mean?

Did that mean he wasn't athletic? Did that mean he wasn't a girl? Was he not interesting enough to be Naokis friend?

It was eating at him for a while, though he knew better than to actually talk to Naoki about it. No doubt the teen would hunt those girls down and rip their heads off for saying such shit.

Still...they made good points.

Naoki was always around him, much like Takeo used to be, only, not as overbearing. Where as Takeo was more up close and intrusive, Naoki knew when to back off and give space.

Naoki was sweet and loving, always there to make him laugh when he felt like being moody. He was always the one to hold him close when he felt his world collapsing over him.

Naoki was the one who took care of him when his father first hurt him...Naoki was always the one to make him feel warm. Being around him was soothing, like a warm blanket...like...when he was around Naoki, nothing could touch him. It wasn't the same feeling he felt for Takeo, but then, he couldn't remember entirely what that feeling was. Naoki was his rock nowadays...he never wanted these feelings to fade.

But he had always thought that's how friends were supposed to feel around each other. So...if it isn't, had Naoki been acting this way because he wasn't feeling friendship, but....love? It certainly seemed that way, if that kiss earlier tonight was anything to go by.

God that kiss...Sono closed his eyes and rested his arm over his face as he played back that kiss. How Naoki just...took control like that, made him feel so secure and so....loved. He liked it. He couldn't deny that Naoki was a damn good kisser, but after that confession, the blond was more confused about his own reaction to it.

He reacted almost the same way he reacted to Takeo touching his groin for the first time. He felt dirty, the need to scrub his skin itching at him. But this was Naoki. Naoki never made him feel this way...so why now? It was just a kiss, a confession; it wasn't like the teen forced himself on him...well, kind of but Sono found he liked it. Loved it even.

So why? Why was he acting like this?

Sweat started to bead from Sonos head as reality washed over him like cold water, wrapping his arms around his thin body, gasping as he went through every little memory of him and Naoki together, trying to pin it all on their friendship. And as each memory passed, his eyes got wider in shock horror. As the memory of him in the hospital hit him suddenly, with Naoki pouring his heart to him about how he'd feel if Sono died that night..to that kiss...it suddenly became all too much and Sono felt his stomach churning in horror.

Bolting to his bathroom, he opened his toilet and began to vomit, the stress of his heart imploding with all these newfound ideas and thoughts.

A loud PING drove him from his thoughts, his puking halted almost instantaneously as he looked at his phone, a blinking light telling him he had a text message.

Not bothering to rinse his mouth out or even wipe his lips, he ran and grabbed his phone, opening it and saw there was a text from Naoki, which said,

_N- Hey...please talk to me. I want to apologize for what happened. I crossed a line and I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking and emotions were high and I'm sorry. I don't regret what I did, but I feel horrible for how I made you feel...I feel like we need to talk about this. Please text me when you get a chance._

And just like that, his nerves vanished. He stopped shaking, his nausea gone...and he smiled.

What was he scared of? Love? Affection from someone who so clearly cared for him? Even if Naoki was already in a relationship, Sono could tell from everything Naoki said to him that there was a different form of love brewing and it was all for him....it was a sensation he wasn't used to and for some reason, for whatever reason, he didn't want it to fade. He wanted that feeling back, he wanted the feeling of a warm, soothing embrace...he wanted Naoki...oh good god, he wanted his best friend. 

Is that what he really wanted? To feel some sort of happiness? Of course he did and Naoki seemed to be the most...perfect answer. How could he not see it before?

Naoki helped his anxiety...Naoki helped his fears...Naoki helped him with...everything. Literally everything.

He had to see him. They needed to talk and they needed to talk ASAP.

Without even thinking, he grabbed his black jacket from the closet and threw it over his pajamas, opened his window and climbed down the wall, not caring that he was suddenly being pelted with heavy rain water. In fact, he welcomed it. Like a sense of new relief that was suddenly so clear to him.

He wasn't sure how long his legs carried him, but he knew where he was after several minutes of getting his bearings through his soaked bangs. The sight of the rain hitting the soft flow of the river made him shiver, knowing this is where Takeo touched him, but he wanted to clear those thoughts from his brain. Naoki always told him that he needed to be strong for himself, do things for himself, push for the things he wanted. 

Now was the time to push all the negative thoughts away and try again. Start new. His brothers wedding was a perfect buffer for this moment; He'd have to thank him later.

Pulling out his phone, he debated on calling or texting to get his point across; he decided on texting. He sent a quick text to Naoki, which simply told him where he was and asked to be picked up.

_Urimatsu Bridge; Please come get me._

He didn't even need to wait that long. Naoki was pulling up to the bridge so quickly that he almost skidded against the curb, jumping out of the car and ran up to the blond, pinning him against the bridge, eyes blazing as he snapped out,

"What in gods name are you doing out here, you idiot?! In this freaking rain, are you serious? Do your parents even know you're out here? Damnit Sono, stop jumping the gun; you know you're not all in the head when you freak out like this. Why-"

The teen froze when the blond hugged him, halting his words and calming him down at the same time. He hugged him back, holding him close to his chest, kissing the top of his head and whispered,

"You scared me...you always scare me. I never know what you're thinking anymore and that terrifies me. I don't like being kept in the dark when it comes to you...I'm so sorry for what I did tonight. I shouldn't have kissed you or even thought about it..it's just...I couldn't stop myself. I've been holding back wanting to do that for a long time and-"

The blond didn't give his friend any time to finish his thought. With all the bad memories going in and all around his head, Chino, Takeo, his father, he needed a new break. And if Naoki wasn't going to allow him to beat himself down, then Sono was not going to allow Naoki to regret what had happened. He lifted himself on his tip toes, damp hands gripping Naokis shirt and gave a chaste kiss to his lips, testing the waters of his own fears, fears he knew he needed to break down and the second he felt Naoki kiss back, it was like his heart began to soar.

This felt right. This felt better than right.

Unfortunately, their kiss broke sooner than the last, the rain dripping over their faces, but both boys found themselves smiling at each other, Naoki practically beaming as he said,

"God, you are such a moron, making me freaking worry like that. Do not scare me like that...how many times do I have to tell you that...hopeless brat....c'mon, let's head back to my house...I think we have a lot to talk about."

Sono smiled at him, feeling more alive than he had in ages, beaming back at him. God almighty, he was looking forward to this talk. So much needed to be said, he had so much to tell Naoki....he needed to tell him everything. He owed him that much, secrets be damned.

"Yeah...yeah we do."

 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy balls, was this a long and stressful one. Awkward chapter is awkward, but teenagers are awkward to write, so there you go XD

"You are seriously an idiot, you know that, right?"

Sono chuckled low to himself, not saying anything as he allowed Naoki to dry his hair roughly with a gray towel, ignoring the grumbles that came from his stomach. How in the hell was he hungry after a huge meal at the reception just hours ago anyway?

Oh right. He puked it all up because his nerves got the best of him again. Because of course they did.

Naoki was understandably upset on the drive back to his house; getting a simple text from his best friend, of whom he basically confessed to earlier, that he was waiting at the nearby river in the rain, was not something he was expecting after dealing with another issue he tried not to think about right now.

The entire drive was spent in silence, save for some of Sonos occasional shivering gasps from being soaked to the bone, with Naoki sighing through his nose, trying so hard to not be an ass about the situation. Even as he offered his spare jacket to the blond, who took it slowly and wrapped it around his cold shoulders, he could feel the awkward tension in the air between the two of them.

Confession and kiss aside, Naoki could tell that this talk was going to be...long. Really long. And very much needed.

When they eventually pulled up to the house, Naoki was almost surprised to see the shop dark, indicating that his father closed an hour early, being that it was only now 9 pm. Pulling into the alley and turning off the car, Naoki got out first and reached the other end of the car before Sono could even put his shivering hand on the lock, opening it and helped his friend out, not bothering to lock up as they stepped inside the house.

Huri greeted them almost instantly, equally as upset as his son to see the blond soaking wet of his own accord. But he said nothing about it, instead telling Naoki to get him cleaned up and in some dry clothes, mentioning that if they were hungry, there were leftovers in the fridge. With that, the man went back to his inventory and Naoki led the teen upstairs to the bathroom, forcing him to strip off his soaked clothes and wrapped him in a towel...but not before observing his friends form and almost feeling pity.

He knew Sono was thin, but not like this. This was just...sad. The detailing of his ribs through his skin was hard to stare at, try as he might not to, and his hip bones jutted, almost as sharp as daggers. Even after he ate so much at the reception...wait, did he even eat tonight? He couldn't even remember.

And judging by the way the blond was shaking, he could tell Sono was greatly uncomfortable with his friend staring at him like this. But Naoki found he couldn't stop looking, the urge to run his hands over such pale skin and comfort these aches was suddenly overwhelming.

But he knew that he had already overloaded the blonds head with confusion, so he didn't press it, instead finishing drying his skin and gave him some of his clothes to wear, mainly just a button up cotton shirt and sweat pants with a string to tighten around his small hips. Using the same towel, Naoki went up to dry his friends hair, trying to think of anything, anything at all, to say to break the tension.

All that came out was,

"You are seriously an idiot, you know that, right?"

Now here they were, Sono chuckling on the toilet seat while Naoki fussed with his hair, the tension still there, but not as suffocating.

The older teen finally used the towel to dry his own hair before tossing it in the hamper, removing his own shirt and tossed it in alongside Sonos wet clothes, mentioning for him to follow him to his room, where they'd be alone so they could talk.

Reluctantly, Sono took his hand and followed him out the bathroom and down the hall, already feeling nervous about this talk. He wanted to play with his phone, give his hands something to do, but recalled that Naoki's dad put both of their phones in rice to soak up the water, so that option was out.

He didn't know where this would end up; Naoki had confessed to him, but what exactly did he mean by that confession? Friends could love each other without any sort of implications, but the kiss that came before it was clearly not a platonic kiss. Sono wasn't sure what to expect. He was excited when he left the house, but now, now that they were together, it made him feel weird, like all this was just some sick fantasy in his head.

The way Naoki was squeezing his hand brought him back to reality for a moment, realizing they were now in his room and Naoki was forcing the blond to sit on his bed while he himself moved to lean against his desk, shutting the door with his foot and leaned over to lock it.

Rain patted against the windows and suddenly, the tension became thick once more, Sono playing with the string on his sweatpants, twirling it around his thumb as he watched Naoki closely, the way his dark eyes shifted towards everywhere else except him, as if thinking deeply about how he wanted to start this.

They could hear Huri downstairs, bustling around, talking on the phone, presumably to Sonos mother, judging by the answers he was giving. The blond groaned to himself; this was just asking for him to be grounded and never allowed to leave the house until graduation. He hoped deep down that because he left to see Naoki, she'd cut him a break.

Finally, after downstairs had gotten silent quickly, save for a door closing, Naoki sighed and pressed his hands against his desk, squeezing the wood as he said,

"I think Ami and I are finished."

It was said so calmly, yet so quickly that Sonos eyes widened a little, his hands pausing over his lap, taking in the sudden information. Naoki still wasn't looking at him, but he didn't mind that, at least not now. Tilting his head, he simply asked,

"What happened?"

Naoki chuckled a little, one of his hands coming up to rub behind his neck, stalling for a moment.

"It's...my fault, mostly. I knew I wasn't spending enough time with her since we started school, but I thought she understood why. She had sports too, had her own friends, her own life. I didn't like much of it because I had the same. I had basketball, I had my job with my dad...I had you. I thought things were fine...but since Takeo left, things between her and I changed. I knew I had to be there for you since you were still going through shit and I told her that...she said she understood that. Then that night, when I found you overdosing, it...set something off in me. She was literally the last thing on my mind and my brain zeroed on you. I was scared; I wasn't prepared to lose you. And I guess that mentality is what fucked us over in the end. I was so focused on you and your well being that I spaced on my actual relationship....she was waiting for me here when I got home tonight...she said that I needed to be open and honest with her about my feelings and she asked me point blank if I still cared for her."

Sono knew where this was going fast and his eyes softened a touch when he saw the level of strain this was putting on his friend. He wanted to reach out and hold him, but the dark parts of his head kept him halted on the bed, eyes never leaving Naoki.

The teen sighed and said,

"I told her the truth, that I cared for her...but not the way she wanted me to. Not anymore. Somewhere along the way, it faded and I tried to ignore it, but the reality was settling in faster than I could keep up. In truth, I don't think I was ever really...in love with her, you know. I mean, I liked her, obviously...but...I guess I was fooling myself into think I loved her...she took it about as well I thought. She was pissed, angry...we fought about it for a while, how she had heard rumors that I was with someone else..."

_'Yeah, me if I heard those same rumors'_ Sono thought to himself, but kept his mouth shut as he let Naoki continue, not at all eager to interrupt his talking.

Naoki took a second to breath through his nose and rub his arm, looking past Sono and out the window next to his bed, watching the street lights and the cars drive by as he found his next set of words.

"I'm not stupid; I knew what she was talking about, I've heard the rumors too. Weirdly enough, I didn't even think of disregarding them. And I think she knew that. She probably would've punched me had you not texted me when you did. And god knows how happy I was for that out....but...when I told her that I had to go, it was like she knew it was you. That it was always you. She said that you were too dependent on me and how it wasn't fair on me...but I told her it wasn't like that. If anything, it was the other way around, in a way. I grabbed my coat and asked her to leave so I could go take care of you, but she said that if I left to go see you...then I could forget about her coming back at all...I didn't look back."

Finally, freaking finally, Naoki looked Sono in the eyes and the blond nearly gaped at the tears pooling in those dark brown orbs, but a smile on his tanned face all at the same time.

"I told my dad where I was going, that I'd be back with you soon and that Ami and I were done. I didn't even wait to hear his reaction or to see if Ami even bothered to leave. I couldn't think about that. You were the only thing on my mind at that moment and I was just wanting to say I was sorry for what I did to you...but...after the talk I had with Ami...I realized I had been wanting to do what I did for so long now and I can't bring myself to regret it. But at the very least, I wanted you to know about it too....it seemed like it needed to be said, especially now....and considering Ami isn't here and probably isn't coming back...I think she gets it now too."

Naoki removed himself from the desk and slowly walked over to the bed, getting to one knee and placed one of his hands on the blonds, which was gripping the fabric of his sweatpants, the other hand coming up to touch his face, cupping his cheek, admiring those deep brown eyes. Naoki's hands were so soft and yet so firm, Sono actually leaned his face into it, eyes still blown with awe and realization. But Naoki didn't stop talking; he kept going, eyes never leaving his friends face.

"I've felt this way for a long time, Sono. It's been hard to keep it down, but it's true. And I'm sorry I scared you tonight, but...hearing you say those things about yourself...I couldn't take it anymore. I was so fed up with the way you looked at yourself that I just...I just snapped. I needed to show you how much you're loved, not just by your family, wither they show it or not...but by me as well. I talk a big game, I play dumb for the sake of shits and giggles...but I can't ignore this anymore. You're perfect...you're talented, an incredible artist, you're fun to be around and wither you think so or not...you're absolutely beautiful. Anyone would be lucky to have you..and I consider myself lucky to call myself your best friend."

There were no amount of words or ways to describe the level of emotions and thoughts swimming through Sonos head at this moment. Time seemed to stop for them and all the blond could hear over the sound of the rain against the windows was the sound of his heart throbbing in his ears.

He couldn't recall a time where Takeo said these sorts of things to him...ok, maybe he could, but certainly not with this kind of passion. He could see in Naokis eyes that he wasn't fibbing, wasn't fabricating anything with this confession...Sono could the amount of hurt, affection...love...in those eyes and his heart started to hurt. To think Naoki felt all this for him, for so long...he felt strange just imagining it, but the mere idea of it all made his head spin.

He didn't even know what to say at first. All the things Naoki said were still twisting in his brain and he could only manage a simple question, something he needed to know first and foremost before he could think of anything else.

"How...how long are we talking exactly?"

The smile that graced Naoki's cheeks was the only answer Sono needed, but the verbal confirmation helped as well.

"If I told you since you first slept over at my house, would you believe me?"

Holy freaking shit...the first night Sono slept over here was...when his father found out about him and Takeo. That was over 4 years ago, if that.

The blonds heart nearly stopped in his chest at the thought, eyes wide as he felt Naoki grip his hand, bringing it to his lips as he said,

"Something about Takeo rubbed me the wrong way. Always had. But I knew you two were so cute together that I didn't press it. I knew that you had been friends for years and there was obviously some sort of attraction there, that's why I pushed you together. But...after I did, there was a lingering sort of regret in my stomach that I couldn't figure out for ages. And when Takeo brought you to my house that night, when he left and you and I settled in bed so you could relax...that's when it hit me. I liked you. That's what that feeling was. I had never so attracted to a guy before and it was confusing...so I tried to find a girl I liked just as much and then I met Ami and well...you know. I mean, I met Ami before all that and I knew I liked her...but I realized I liked you so much more...I just couldn't do or say anything...Takeo was so overly possesive of you and I didn't think it was healthy for you, but I knew my place. So I kept quiet....then when he told me about wanting to get away from it all, wanted you to dump him...I won't lie when I say I felt relieved. You needed to be away from him. Something was changing with him and I didn't want you getting hurt...shit, I'm sorry. I'm rambling on and on about my feelings and I haven't even stopped to ask how you were feeling...."

Well crap....what was Sono feeling after all that? What could he feel after all this was sprung on his plate all at one time?

He knew he was crying; he could feel the tears pouring down his cheeks, felt Naoki wipe them away with his thumb, as gentle as he could. His other hand was still gripping Sonos pale one tightly, rubbing his skin ever so softley, coaxing him into a state of calm he had never felt before in his life. There was so much he wanted to say in this moment; he wanted so badly to tell Naoki everything on his mind, but felt the words get stuck in his throat.

It wasn't until Naoki laced their fingers together that Sono felt everything explode at once. The tears in his eyes turned into waterfalls, his entire body trembling from the emotions in his core. He used his other hand to wipe his eyes, not getting much affect, but still tried as Naoki moved closer to him, settling between Sonos legs and hugged him, letting the blond sob into his shoulder, rubbing the back of his hair, not letting go of his other hand.

They embraced like that for a few moments, Naoki not minding that his shoulder was drenched with the blonds tears. He simply held onto him, kissing his head and spoke soothing words into his ear. It was what Sono needed to calm down, just a little bit, but when his mind finally began to clear, he started feeling the nerves from before creep into his skin.

Naoki truly did love him, he could see that. Hell, he could feel it just from how Naoki was holding him. And Sono was sure he felt the same...if he didn't, he wouldn't have walked to Urimatsu just to see him. They needed to have this talk so the air would be crystal clear in front of them.

In order for them to do that, Sono would have to tell Naoki the truth. The actual truth.

He took deep breaths and rested his head against his friends shoulder, drinking in the warmth Naoki was giving him. He fought to find the words he needed to say, forcing them from the cage that was his anxiety and finally, after some brief shuddering puffs of air, he said,

"Naoki...I....wanted someone to say these things to me so badly...I wanted to feel the emotion from words like that since Takeo...and I was sure it was him for years but...I knew he was changing. He was becoming more aggressive and secretive...more impulsive...I thought I was going to die from heartbreak when he forced to me break up with him over reasons I still don't understand...but you were there. You were always there. You were the rock I needed to get me through some of the most difficult challenges of my life. You always made me so happy and yet so depressed because deep down...I had feelings for you too. Maybe not as long as you had, but they were there. And I always hated myself for them because...because...I felt like I wasn't worth your time...but to hear you say you actually love me for me...it hurts my heart in ways I didn't think imaginable...I don't want the feeling to stop...I want nothing more than to love you in ways you love me..."

The older teen was practically beaming with every word Sono spoke. He hugged the blond tighter, feeling such truth in his words and held onto them like a lifeline. In his own way, Sono loved him back. It was more than Naoki could ask for. He wanted to kiss him again, press him against the bed and ravish him with the love he kept hidden for years.

"But...I can't....I can't give you what you need from me."

Suddenly, the room grew tense again and Naoki felt his heart plummet in his stomach. He felt hurt, but more confused than emotionally led on. He pulled away from the blond and looked at him, seeing his crying resume, but this time, he could tell there was something deeper. There had to be. Naoki was not about to let Sono slip through his fingers again without truly understanding this sick level of fear he had.

Cupping his face with both hands, Naoki looked into those wet brown eyes, searching for an answer, but Sono closed them, shaking his head rapidly, hands digging into his hair. Naoki didn't let up, keeping a firm grip on his friends face, demanding an answer...desperately wanting a solution.

Sono still kept his eyes closed, but vented out with such a broken voice that it even made Naokis heart hurt.

"I can't give you anything except my words....anything physical, I can't give you...and I hate it...I hate that I can't be anything more than what I want...what you need...I can't do it...it makes me sick just thinking about it and I hate what it's done to me...I've missed out on so much emotional and intimate progression...all because of him! He's ruined me! I couldn't even stomach Takeo touching me and now...now that I know I love you...I can't imagine the disappointment you'd have because I can't be physical...it hurts me...it always has...and I just want it to stop!"

"Sono, what are you talking about? Who ruined you? Did Takeo force you into something? Is that what you meant when you said you don't know what arousal feels like? Did he hurt you?"

"No! Not Takeo!"

"Then who? Tell me what happened! Help me understand!"

It all came out like a tidal wave. Sono couldn't stop his words even if he wanted to. The combination of his tears and his now settling panic attack just added onto the emotional weight of his own confession. He wrapped his arms around his middle and said all he wanted to say for years..to someone...anyone.

"I was raped when I was 6 years old....by my dads old friend, Chino. It had been happening for a week, started when I got sick...no one knew. My parents didn't know, Oto didn't know...he threatened to break my hands if I told anyone about it....so I didn't...every night, when everyone went to sleep, he'd come into my room and...and...fuck!"

Sono double over on himself, practically screaming in his throat as he continued,

"He almost kidnapped me! I was almost taken away from my family...the night my family found out, he was drunk with anger...apparently my dad somewhat knew and Chino broke my arm in fit of rage, threatening to take me away and be his sex puppet...I was so scared...and then they all came in and my dad beat him almost to death. He was arrested and I was sent to a mental institution because I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't even breath without seeing him there...goddammit....from then on, the thought of someone touching me or even thinking it myself...I get sick every time. I couldn't even bring myself to explore my own body because all I saw where his hands! And when Takeo tried to touch me...it just brought back all those horrible memories...and now...now I can't even give you what you want from me because of it! I want so badly to, but I can't get past it...I'm sorry, Naoki...I love you so much, but I can't give you what you need..."

There was a large pool of thoughts and emotions going through Naokis head after all that. Shock horror, fury, pity, sadness, everything in between. How could he not have seen this? The way Sono acted when touched in certain spots, the way he would tense when he would put his hand on his lower back for fun...the way he clutched onto him when they hugged...it made so much sense...

Dear god, Sono had to keep all this to himself for years, not telling a soul. What kind of special pain that must've been to have kept that locked up for nearly 10 years. Naoki couldn't even fathom the level of hurt his friend felt to keep it all hidden from the world. No doubt his family hadn't told anyone either to keep their son safe....but at what cost?

Sonos sexual growth was stunted because of what happened to him, no doubt worsened by not saying anything to anyone, not even a shrink if anything.

Naoki wasn't even sure how to follow this up. The sight of his blond friend doubled over in pain, sobbing into his knees at releasing all that pent up terror...it broke his heart.

Not even thinking, not that he wanted to, Naoki reached over and hugged his friend, pulling them both to their feet and rested his face in the damp mop of golden hair, cradling him to his heart while rubbing his back. He could feel Sono grip onto his shoulders, wet face buried in his chest, small hiccups rattling his skin.

"Jesus Christ....Sono, I'm so sorry you went through that...I can't even begin to think about the hell it put you through for years. No one should have to suffer that way, years of depriving yourself of simple pleasures because of one assholes acts...I would say you should've told me sooner, but I can see why you didn't..."

Naoki moved himself so he could tilt Sonos head towards his gaze with his fingers, locking their gaze, wet with stern, as the older teen said,

"But you should know this doesn't change how I feel about you. I could honestly give two shits about any sexual aspect between us. I just want you...only you. I want to support you in your manga dreams, I want to hold you when you feel upset or scared...hug you when you feel happy...kiss you to show that I love you. And if you want to try anything, anything at all, I'll be there to help you through it. I don't care about anything else. I just care about you. I always have...I always will."

The kiss that followed such an emotional speech literally made Sonos aching heart burst into flames, gripping Naokis arms as he slowly kissed back, eyes closing, feeling more tears leak from him, paying attention to the way Naoki gripped the back of his head, running his fingers through his hair, not willing to let go.

Something inside Sonos body was starting to react to the way Naokis love seeped to his inner core. It was odd, but not unsettling as the blond thought it would be. He wasn't sure what it was, but he knew it felt nice. The way he was being held and kissed and touched...his body seemed to like it. It sent shivers up his spine and at any other moment where it would have made him panic...this time, it made him excited. That's what this night was for. He needed to rid himself of these stupid fears. One step at at time.

But no one ever said Sono was patient with factors he felt important. And when their kiss broke, Sono felt his tears stop and his heart racing. His breath was a little labored and his skin felt hot. It was a very unfamiliar feeling, but he wanted more of it. Looking up at Naoki, he could see the same level of love in his face, but also some uncertainty.

Sono knew he had to make this first step himself. If he let Naoki make this call, it would never happen; he'd be too concerned with the blonds mental state. And after all that was said, after all the emotions were layed on the table and things were finally clear between them, Sono felt more determined than ever.

It was time.

"Naoki....show me what it's like."

"What what's like?"

"Arousal...pleasure...show me what it feels like."

Naoki was taken back for a second, as if he hadn't heard him correctly.

"What, now? After what you just told me? Sono, are you-"

"I have never been more sure of anything right now. I need to know, Naoki. And I want you to show me. If it doesn't happen now, it never will. I'll spend the rest of my life celibate and I don't want that. Not with you. Please...I'm asking you...help me understand."

Naoki was absolutely flabbergasted; did he or did he not just hear Sono say that the mere idea of arousal and...intimacy made the blond violently ill behind comprehension? So why the sudden shift?

He wanted to say no, that Sono was not thinking clearly about this and that emotions were so high, he was literally riding them. But at the same time, he couldn't say no to his best friend. Not when they had just confessed everything they had been feeling.

If Sono really wanted this, then Naoki would do his best to oblige. Even if he felt this was a terrible idea at first.

Taking his friends hands in his, he sighed and said,

"Alright...but let's make one thing clear. You need to talk to me, tell me everything you're feeling. If you're feeling good, tell me. But the minute you start feeling uncomfortable, we stop everything. Are we clear?"

Sonos heart picked up once again, eyes wide with a sudden burst of energy as he nodded, but Naoki gripped his face, saying,

"Promise me. Promise me you'll tell me if you're feeling uncomfortable."

In that moment, the look in the blonds eyes sealed the deal. There was no going back.

"I promise."

\--

It seemed like hours had passed, but it had only been a few minutes and already, Naoki felt nervous as hell. He had stepped downstairs to grab bottles of water and perhaps some cookies, though he wasn't sure why. And he was thrilled when his dad didn't ask questions as he took the stuff back to his room.

When he got there, he opened his door and frozen when he saw his friend standing in front of the bed, wearing Naoki's jacket and apparently nothing else....save for some shorts. He could tell he was nervous too. How couldn't he be? This wasn't the first time Naoki had sex, but considering this was Sonos first time....emotionally speaking, he could see why the blond was tense.

Seriously, what was Naoki doing, being all skittish like this? His friend needed him to be strong for him right now and damnit, this is what the blond wanted. He'd make it special for both of them.

Setting the items on his nightstand, he got up behind his friend and hugged him from behind, feeling him relax a little and took this opportinuty to kiss his ear, rubbing his sides through the jacket, not wanting to touch his skin unless he got permission.

In his ear, Naoki whispered,

"Still good?"

A small nod.

"Tell me what you want me to do."

Sono started shivering, but forced himself to remain calm. This was Naoki, not Chino. He could do this.

"Can..can you..touch my stomach? Lightly...until you start touching my hips?"

Naoki smiled against his ear, nodding his understanding and ever so slowly, moved his hands to touch the blonds bare stomach, using both hands to rub circles, still kissing under his ear, eventually reaching his hips, running his fingertips over such pale, smooth skin. He could feel the blond tense the second he touched his stomach, but seemed to relax just enough to let him continue rubbing his sides, lifting the jacket occasionally to reach more skin.

"What else?"

Sono gulped, not really knowing what else he wanted. He was trying to think of places that could feel good to him, but because he had never explored his own body, he was confused and frankly, a little scared.

But the way Naoki continued to kiss his ear, hands never leaving where he wanted, the blond let out a soft sigh of relief and mumbled out,

"You can..k-kiss my neck. Touch my chest....just go slow."

"Anything you want."

Every so softly, Naokis hands moved from his hips to his chest, palming him softly while his soft lips moved from his ear to his neck, pressing butterfly kisses against the skin, occasionally biting the lobe of the blonds ear.

He had to admit, he was enjoying his a lot more than he thought. Sono felt so relaxed in Naokis arms, walking through what he thought felt good to him and Naoki seemed to be doing such a good job. There was no nausea in his gut, no nerves spiking in his brain...just calm pleasure. Something he was so unused to.

The bite to his ear was a bit surprising, his head tumbling to the left and a strange sound left his mouth, feeling a blush creep on his cheeks. He was sure it was a sound of pain, but judging by Naokis chuckle, he knew instantly he had moaned...he didn't even think that biting his ear would feel that good.

Naoki kept at it, kissing his neck, stopping to nibble at his ear for a few seconds, before going back to his throat, his hands getting more daring as he felt the subtle nubs of Sonos pink nipples harden against his palms, adoring the soft moans the blond was giving him.

Feeling bold, Naoki moved one of his thumbs to lightly caress around the blonds right nipple, not tweaking it, but gently teasing it. The results were quick.

Sono threw his head back and let out a shocked moan, his body wracked in tremors and for a moment, Naoki thought he'd want to stop, that this was too much. He stopped moving his hands altogether, ready to ask if he was alright. But Sono beat him to it. He let out a soft moan, whispering,

"Don't stop."

Cue enough, Naoki guessed, as he smiled and continued to tease his neck with kisses, eventually using both hands to play with the blonds now rock hard nipples, loving how relaxed Sono was with him. He was afraid that the memories of being hurt would cause Sono to stop this early, but it seemed like the blond was trying to push those feelings back so he could enjoy himself.

Naoki felt honored that Sono wanted this with him, to trust him so completely and give himself over to feelings he had never experienced. It was sweet, almost too sweet. But Naoki didn't care, so long as his blond friend was finally enjoying himself.

It took a few moments before Naoki found himself questioning what Sono wanted next, so as he played with his hard nubs, he licked a hot stripe from the base of his neck back to his ear, adoring the long moan it ripped from the teen, and asked,

"What's next, Sono? Where do you want me?"

The blond felt fuzzy from all the blood going from his brain to where, he wasn't too sure. All he knew was, he loved it. Why he didn't try this sooner was beyond him but with Naoki, it was like he knew along what he liked. Without thinking, he gripped one of Naoki's hands and lowered it to his groin, feeling his knuckles brush against something that made him freeze in seconds.

There it was; the nerves he had tried so hard to push away, but having Naoki's hand so close to him like that was setting red flags off in his skull. He started to squirm, wanting to get away, but when Naoki moved his hand to his stomach, all fear stopped. He turned his head to look at him, seeing how Naoki was smiling softly at him, saying,

"I could practically hear your panicking thoughts growing the minute you moved my hand. If you want, I'll take over, but I'll go slow, ok? Tell me green if it's ok, yellow to slow down or red to stop. Good?"

Bless Naoki and his patience, Sono thought as he nodded. He wasn't quite sure why he panicked the way he did, but he knew he had to get over it soon. Otherwise, this would a waste for nothing.

Naoki gently rubbed over the blonds abdomen, asking for permission to go back to where Sono wanted and the blond shuddered, gulping his fear down and said,

"G-green."

The older teen was not convinced by the tone, but continued nonetheless, moving his hand slowly to gently cup the blonds....very hard erection. Naoki smiled to himself, feeling pride that he was the reason Sono was feeling arousal for the first time and suddenly got very cocky about it, forgetting himself as he massaged it through the black short, listening intently to the blonds gasps and moans.

Kissing his shoulder, he moved to his other ear and blew hot air into it, feeling Sono shudder and buck his hips, chuckling as he took one of Sonos hands, which had been frozen at his sides since the beginning, and pressed it against his hot groin next to his own, whispering,

"Feel that? You know what that is, Sono?"

A moan as a response and Naoki smiled, nuzzling his neck and said,

"That's what arousal is. I'm making you feel so good that your body is responding to my touches. You want me to continue, you want me to keep touching you...you have no idea how sexy you sound right now, these soft moans and gentle thrusts into my hand...it's actually turning me on, you know."

Sono could feel Naokis words in his blood as it rushed south, causing his member to throb under the cotton shorts, making him moan loudly, bucking his hips harder against his friends hand, while at the same time, feeling Naokis own arousal behind him, pressing against his back through his pants. Any other time, it would have scared him to pieces.

Now....now he found himself wanting to see Naoki naked. Want Naoki to touch him everywhere, kiss his skin, make him feel so good that he'd cry for different reasons.

The blonds legs were starting to quiver was Naoki continued to rub his dick through his shorts and it had suddenly occurred to the blond that perhaps it'd be easier to remove the damn things. His hands went to the waistband and started to pull them down. Immediately, both of Naokis hands stopped him, making him gasp and look back at him, seeing those smoldering brown eyes look at him concerned.

"Are you sure you want to do that? Because if you do that, you're telling me that we can go further and I don't want to scare you."

"...Green."

The bluntness of Sonos answer made Naokis eyes widen a little, but soften as he smiled and nodded, allowing the blond to slowly pull down his shorts, getting them just to his mid thigh and gasped as his erection was met with cold air for the first time.

Naoki was even surprised at the progress they were making at this point; he was certain they'd have to stop at some point, but Sono was making it difficult to even think about stopping regardless. He peered over the blonds shoulder to look at him, almost drooling at the sight.

The blond was, by no means, small. He was fairly above average, a cute shade of pink and pale, nesstled in a crown of beautiful yellow hair. Naoki had the strangest urge to look closer, though it was hard to do standing.

Suddenly, he got a wicked idea and before even asking, he gripped Sonos hips and moved him quickly to his bed, setting him on his back and hovered over him, unbuttoning his pants in the process. The blond let out a cute squeal at first, then gasped softly as he saw Naoki over him, a dark look in his eyes.

Once again, red flags went off in Sonos head, images shifting back to that night, seeing Chino instead of Naoki and he started to hyperventilate, eyes wide and his arms moving to cover his chest.

 

_You'll grow to like it...they almost always do_

 

The mantra struck in his head and he almost couldn't breath, the weight of the pain nearly suffocating him. He needed to get away. He needed to curl under the covers and hide from him, hope he'd never find him again, hope that-

"Shhh, Sono, it's me. It's only me..you're safe, love. It's just me."

Naoki...that was Naokis voice. His eyes opened to see his best friend instead of Chino, his breathing starting to slow down ever so slightly. That's right...Chino was in prison and Naoki was here. Sono knew that...of course he knew that.

The teen cupped his cheek and leaned down to kiss him in an attempt to relax him, resting on his left elbow so as not to crush him, pulling back after a few seconds to look his friend in the face, asking,

"Do you need a minute?"

Sono shuddered a little, looking down the length of his body to see if that small second of anxiety did anything to ruin this moment....he blushed a brick red when he saw that his erection didn't even flinch, in fact, it throbbed against Naokis leg.

The blond closed his eyes again, pressing his hand to his chest, taking in deep breaths, repeating to himself that Naoki was here with him...Chino was gone. And he had been gone for a long time. He wasn't coming back.

But Naoki was here and he was going to stay with him. That's all Sono wanted right now and it's all it took for him to open his eyes and smile up at him, shaking his head and said,

"I think I'm ok....I'll be fine. Thank you. I'm still green, just...can you..can you get naked too? It'll make me feel better."

Goddamn, Sono was cute. The way he so calmly asked that question...Naoki actually felt his own erection throb in his pants. With a nod, he got up to his knees, finished unzipping his pants and gave Sono a look that read 'last chance'. Sono nodded back and soon, the older teen pulled his pants down to his mid thighs, adjusting a little to pull them off completely.

Sono was not sure what he was expecting, honestly. But what he did know now was that Naoki was...pretty big. He was fit everywhere, a slight 4 pack growing in his abs thanks to his sports and work out schedule. Below that though, Sono blushed and found he couldn't look away.

It was long, thick and tanned, much like the rest of Naoki, settled in a mass of dark brown curls. And it was hard...like...rock solid hard. Sono did that to him and just the idea of such made the blond weak, his eyes now darkened with want. Naoki saw that shift and smirked, reaching down to pull the blonds shorts off the rest of the way, throwing them off the side of the bed.

Now, dressed only in Naokis jacket, Sono blushed as he realized how...bare he was. And he suddenly felt self conscious about it, not sure how Naoki was taking in the sight of such a thin body, slightly malnourished and probably scarred up.

Naoki wasn't blind. He could see years of self neglect and hurt all over the blonds naked form. He could see scars and marks all over himself...and even then, Naoki was looking at him like he was the most beautiful thing he had layed eyes on. How could Sono ever think he wasn't attractive? Well, Naoki would fix that quickly. His hands trailed from his hips to his chest, his arms and then to his back, lifting him a little so he could remove the jacket, throwing it aside and truly take in Sonos form. This was really happening. He finally had the love of his life in his arms with him...after years of pining and seeing his best friend struggle, he could finally love him, show him love and comfort and support him...Naoki had never been so happy.

Laying the blond back down, Naoki leaned over him and kissed his lips softly, ever so softly, as he led a hot trail to his neck again, whispering,

"I love you...and I promise I'll make this good for you. Just...tell me when to stop, ok?"

"Naoki...I-"

"Shh, don't. It's alright...I think you're beautiful...don't hide from me ever again."

Naoki left that comment in the air as he kissed down the blonds neck, reaching his chest and used his left hand to tweak a pink nipple, bringing it back to full hardness. He felt Sono gasp a little, then relax against the bed as the teen continued his motions. Though, he felt the right nub was feeling left out, but this time, instead of using his other hand, Naoki decided to press his lips against it, kiss it, twirl his tongue around it and suckle it gently.

By god, did Sono let out the most shocked moan ever at that. He arched his back, pleasure shooting up and down his spine as Naoki sucked his nipple roughly, his other nipple being pinched and tweaked in his hands, feeling his legs spread against his own consciousness, sensing that Naoki picked up on that, slowly kissing down his stomach, dipping his tongue into his tiny belly button, smirking to himself when the blond let out a gasp mixed with a giggle.

Oh, so he was ticklish here, was he? Good to know.

Continuing this act for a few more seconds, Naoki moved his lips lower, finally coming across the prize he wanted. And that was when Sono stopped him, pressing his hands on his head and forced him back. Naoki looked up at him, seeing how those cute eyes were looking everywhere else up but at him.

Naoki rubbed his left thigh, asking,

"Are you doing ok? Do we need to stop?"

Sono shook his head, but Naoki wasn't convinced.

"Love, if you're struggling, you need to tell me. I need to know if this is ok for you."

"It is!...it's just...I'm embarrassed."

"Embarrassed? About what?"

Sono flushed a dark pink and Naoki just found it to be so damn adorable. He nuzzled his thigh, pressing soft kisses to it, coaxing Sono into talking to him. When he did, Naoki found himself chuckling at the response.

"I uh...it's just...I don't want to...you know...not like that. I kinda wanted you...um...well...in..."

Chuckling yes, but to think that Sono wanted his first orgasm to be brought on by Naoki actually inside of him was enough to make the teen moan to himself in the flesh of the blond leg. God, that was hot to hear, even if it was subtle. Naoki wanted to ask if Sono was sure, but he knew better by this point. If this is what Sono wanted, Naoki would do his best to make it the best experience ever for him.

To do so, foreplay was needed and Naoki smiled up at his friend, saying,

"Sure...that works. But Sono, if we're going all the way, I need to prepare you for that. And this works better if you let me do it this way. Just tell me when you think you're about to cum. Trust me. You can't miss it."

Pink went to red at the mentioning of cumming so early, but Sono lifted himself on his elbows, eyes panicking as he asked,

"Do you...I mean...do you know how to do this? With a guy?"

Naoki laughed a little, making the blond gulp. The teen smiled brightly at him and said,

"Well, the internet happens to be a thing...so I think I've got this. Just let me know how I'm doing."

Oh dear gods above, Sono blushed brightly at the idea of his best friend getting his ideas from porn...gay porn at that. And he was sure Naoki and Ami had sex at some point but...this was new territory for them both. So much could go wrong. Naoki could accidentally bite him, Sono could accidentally choke him by moving too much, they could-

"Oh god!"

Sono threw his hand over his mouth after letting out a cry as he felt a hot wet tongue press against his member, face flushed in red as it moved up and down the length of him, tickling the base and moving up quickly to the tip.

Naoki smirked to himself as he moved his tongue all around the length of his friends cock, already loving the taste of his skin. True, he had never done this before and all he could go off of was videos online, but judging how Sono was squrming and he could hear soft moans from under his hand, he had to wager he was doing a good job so far.

Not an inch of him was dry and Naoki was determined to make his friend feel fantastic when they eventually got up to the main event....though he was still skeptical of how much Sono actually wanted to have sex. He said he did, but Naoki was afraid that the blond was overdoing it on the first try. He paused his licking, pressing kisses against the vein, lost in his thoughts as he absentmindedly kissed down to the root again, then further down to his friends sac, feeling him quiver under his breath.

The idea that this was all for his friend...all for Sono...it was enough for Naoki to clear his mind and smile. Whatever Sono wanted, Naoki would deliver.

True to that thought, Naoki dove in and took one of Sonos balls into his mouth, suckling ever so gently. He heard the muffled scream that left his friends mouth and he felt pride, cocky pride. Oh yes. If this is what Sono wanted, Naoki would have to be an idiot to not give his friend whatever he asked. He trusted Sono to tell him when to stop and he trusted himself to realize when the blond would be feeling off.

At least, he hoped he did.

Honestly, he wanted to slap Sonos hand away from his mouth so he could hear those sexy moans, but considering his dad was either downstairs or in bed, Naoki could compromise for now. He'd get Sono to scream for him one day. When they were officially alone.

Removing his mouth from the blonds now soaked and quivering sac, Naoki moved his mouth lower, using both hands to lift the blonds legs and keep them spread, pressing his tongue against the small patch of skin under his balls. He had seen men do this in the videos he watched and while he wasn't sure why they did it, he recalled the reactions the men got from either rubbing it with their fingers or pressing their tongues against it.

Well, Naoki was nothing if not a perfectionist with everything he did. He wanted to see if Sono would make those same noises as the video. So, when he pressed his tongue against in, pushing ever so slightly, he heard Sono let out an absolutely adorable moan, spreading his legs wider in Naokis hands, one hand suddenly buried in his brown hair.

Removing his tongue for just a second, recalling another part of his favorite video that did something called 'rimming', he smirked and said,

"That's it, love. Tell how much you love this. Let me know how I make you feel."

Sono said nothing but tightened the grip he had in Naokis hair, moans spilling from his lips from under his hand. God, he couldn't think straight anymore. Everything Naoki did was setting his skin aflame in the best of ways. His tongue was hot no matter where he went, even as he creeped further down and...and...

The blonds hand that was covering his mouth followed his other hand to the top of Naokis head the second he felt that tongue touch the rim of his entrance, a shocked moan tumbling from his throat. While he originally thought to push Naokis head away from that part of him, the part that had been abused all those years ago, he found that the way Naoki was so gently licking around it, pressing the tip of his tongue against it, occasionally pressing inside, it was enough to make the blonds head short circuit.

He brought back one of his hands to his mouth, biting his knuckles as Naoki thrust his tongue in and out of him, curling it gently and rubbing his thigh with one hand....not noticing the other was feeling around the other side of the bed for something.

Sono felt his hearing fade for such a split second as Naoki continued pleasing him. Who would have thought a tongue there would feel so damn good? The blond shivered when Naokis tongue wiggled inside him, trying to get deeper, thinking he heard something along the signs of a cap opening...then his tongue vanished and Sono let out such a frustrated moan, yanking on the mop of brown hair.

Naoki chuckled loudly, patting his friends leg, whispering,

"Relax, buddy. If you really want my dick inside you, I need to properly prepare you and trust me, my tongue isn't going to cover it. Believe me...you're going to want this. Last thing I want is to tear you up because you were impatient."

Sono shot him a dark glare and Naoki couldn't help but laugh, continuing to spread something over his fingers, coating them generously. Sono arched his brow for a moment, knowing what was coming next and forced him breathing to settle, even as Naoki re-positioned himself between his legs, kissing his knee and said,

"This is where I really need you to relax. It's going to feel weird...but I promise it'll feel good...you still green?"

The blond gulped again, nodding and soon, he felt the cold press of Naoki's finger against him, applying pressure and soon, his finger was deep inside the blonds body.

And that was around the time Sono freaked for a second, shouting out,

"Red! Red!"

Naoki ripped his finger out quickly, coming up the bed and pulled Sono into an awkward hug, rubbing his hair and kissed his forehead, whispering apologies in his hair, waiting for the blond to settle down.

Oddly enough, Sono found out quickly, it wasn't because of any bad memories that he wanted that to stop...no, it was something else entirely. And he blushed to himself, feeling stupid for making Naoki stop...he gripped Naokis hand and guided him back down, much to the older teens confusion.

"Are you sure? You sounded pretty eager to stop."

"No I'm fine...it just shocked me is all...I'm ok....just...hold me like this when you're doing it. It'll make me relax better."

"Sono, are you sure you want to do this? I don't want you thinking you have to do this to make me feel better or anything-"

Then came a motion Naoki was not expecting, nor ever thought to expect. Sono gripped both sides of his face and gave him such a hard kiss, bruising at that, for a second before breaking apart, eyes aflame as he said,

"Naoki Nazawa...don't make me force myself to make this call for you. I want this. You want this. Help me forget...help me forget everything bad that's happened in my life. Help me start anew...with you...please.."

Well shit. It was hard to argue with that, Naoki realized.

Not taking his eyes off his friends face, he moved his wet finger back to his entrance, pushing back inside and watched as Sono hissed at the feeling, clutching the blanket above him, but not saying anything.

So, he continued....thrusting his finger in and out slowly, eyes never leaving his friends face. Eventually, Sono seemed to relax enough for Naoki to slip another finger in, again watching the blond cringe a little, but still, not saying a word.

This went on for a while, two fingers thrusting in and out of the blonds body, finally slipping in a third and moved his fingers in a triangle shape, stretching the muscles inside Sonos body. It seemed like that was enough to get the blond to gasp out, reaching down to clutch Naokis wrist, feeling the pivet motions and found himself moaning when he peered down to watch Naokis fingers disappear into his body. It was entrancing to watch, even more so when Naokis lips were on his head, helping him breath in case there was pain.

Out of nowhere though, Naoki moved his finger a little upwards and Sonos eyes snapped open, head thrown back and a moan released from his throat, again and again as Naoki pressed on that spot inside him, soon realizing his hips were moving in time with those fingers.

Looking to Naoki for an explanation, he found his friend smiling at him, leaning over him and said,

"You have no idea how sexy you look right now. Riding my fingers as they open you up for me. That's it. Let me know how it feels. Tell me how it feels, Sono. I need to know."

His moans were getting louder as Naoki continued to press against that spot, each time rougher and his legs remained spread to get more of that feeling, his hips moving every time those fingers left him. The flush on his cheeks was turning darker and his vision was starting to white out. There was a strange pressure building just under his stomach, right where Naoki was pressing and every time his fingers touched that spot, the pressure would get tighter. His legs were shaking, toes curling in the sheets and Sono knew what this was without even realizing it.

He threw his head back, drool leaking from his mouth as he moaned out as best he could,

"N-Nao! I feel...I feel...oh god, I feel something coming!"

"Tell me what it feels like."

"Pressure...hot pressure...it's too much...if you keep going.."

And just like that, all motion stopped. Naoki removed his fingers from Sonos body and away from his form all together, earning a desperate whimper from the blond as he opened his eyes, suddenly aware of what was happening.

Naoki was now seated between his spread legs, speading lube all over his dark red dick. It was practically pulsing, clear liquid leaking from the tip and suddenly, Sono felt his heart sink. Not in a bad way, but more with nerves and anxiety. The look in his friends eyes looked primal as he spread the blonds legs with one hand, the other gripping a pillow to place under his hips and rested the tip of his cock against the blonds wet entrance.

From there, no one moved. Sono could feel how hot Naoki was against him, whimpering and moving his hips against it...and heard Naoki moan at that. It caused the blond to freeze, look up at the teen, who looked positively disheveled. His tanned skin was flushed, his brown hair a mess and a thin veil of sweat covered his chest. His dark eyes looked at Sono with so much love and lust that the blond moaned in return...he moved his hands to Naokis hard chest, knowing this was more than anything he could ask for.

"Naoki...I love you...you look so beautiful right now..."

The teen chuckled a little, leaning over and kissing the blonds lips softly, mumbling against them,

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

"Cheesy bastard."

The two laughed for a moment, Naoki occasionally shifting to get comfortable and kept Sonos legs spread. When they locked eyes again, Naoki said, in such a deep tone Sono knew he was falling more in love with every time he spoke,

"I promise you, Sono. From this moment on, I'm with you always. I won't hurt you and I won't abandon you. If you need me, tell me and I'll always be there. Nothing will stop me from being with you. I love you...I've always loved you."

Naoki pressed their bodies together, kissing the blond with such passion that Sono felt his heart implode once more, kissing back and running his hands over Naokis back. When they broke apart, Naoki whispered into his ear,

"Relax...and if it hurts, which it's probably gonna, scratch my back, bite me...do whatever you have to. It'll only hurt for a second."

Sono nodded, pressing his face in the crook of Naokis neck as he suddenly felt a pressure unlike anything he had felt in years in his lower body begin to erupt.

It hurt. It clearly hurt judging from the rough digging of Sonos nails into Naokis back, the scream in his shoulder, the way Naoki was holding him close as he whispered apologies to him as he continued to move deeper.

Sono wasn't sure when exactly did Naoki bottom out, but he felt such a burning sensation from his lower back down, legs trembling wildly and his fingers clutching onto the teens skin. Gods, did this hurt. He now remembered why he didn't want to do this before.

The pain...the disgusting feeling of guilt and shame...wait a second..he wasn't feeling any of that.

He opened his eyes, not realizing he closed them, and looked up at Naoki, who also had his eyes squeezed shut, sweat dripping from his forehead, breathing heavily, his hands clutching the pillow on both sides of Sonos head. He was shaking too; Sono was, by far, the best feeling around his cock that Naoki could even hope to describe. Hot, wet, tight...really tight...but it felt so perfect. He could feel those inner muscles fighting to relax around him, the occasional squeeze making him shudder as he breathed.

Eventually, he opened his eyes and caught Sono looking at him, his own eyes blown black, tears pooling and that gorgous pink flush down to his neck...golden locks splayed over his pillow...Naoki had never been so in love before.

Leaning down, he kissed Sonos cheek, shifting his hips a little and heard the blond gasp, clutching his shoulder. Neither said anything for a moment, but soon, Naoki caught the blonds ear lobe in his teeth, asking,

"Still...g-green?"

Sono looked at the side of Naokis head for a moment, calming his body and his breathing and realized, in this moment, that he had completely forgotten what he was so afraid of. Naoki felt wonderful inside of him, like...they were made for each other...Sono groaned at such a sappy line entering his brain and he felt Naoki chuckle as if he read his thoughts.

Finally, the blond shuddered and said, with a voice he couldn't recognize,

"You have....n-no idea how g-green I am right now..."

A smile found its way to Naoki's face, lifting himself on his elbow and gave an experimental thrust, watching as Sonos eyes closed and a soft moan left his lips. It felt odd, but not unpleasant, Sono found, and even wrapped his legs around Naokis waist as the teen started to move faster.

Whatever fears Sono had then were immediately pushed so far from his mind and all he could focus on was the white hot feeling of Naokis cock in his body, moving like a jackhammer, hard and fast, his own hands reaching up to wrap around Naokis neck, loud moans right in his ear.

Naoki knew for damn sure they should be more quiet, but damn this felt too good. He let out gasps of his own as the blonds inner muscles squeezed him tighter with every thrust. His hands gripped the pillow tightly, grunting louder as Sonos moans got more higher in pitch, his body suddenly molding around him, not letting go.

The older teen was already riding close to the edge just preparing Sono for this moment and he was quite surprised that the blond was lasting as long as he was. Though, from the way his inner form was relenting and squeezing at random, combined with Sonos moans and cries, Naoki could tell he was close to the end too.

He kissed the side of Sonos sweaty head, telling him to hold on tight and when he felt those thin limbs clutch on tighter, Naoki lifted them up, settling Sono in his lap, adoring the moan ripping from his lips. This position allowed Naoki to go a bit deeper and it obvious the blond loved it, the way he was already moving his hips in tune with Naokis thrusts, legs locked around his waist, hands buried in his brown hair, whimpering moans in his right ear.

Naoki pushed back for a second and took the blonds lips against his, kissing him with such fevored passion that his thrusts began to pick up once more, swallowing the loud screams coming from the beautiful creature in his lap. Eventually, Naoki coaxed the blonds tongue out to play, drool leaking from both their mouths, Sonos hand gripping his hair tighter.

A particularly loud moan Naoki was so eager to drink up told him that he found Sonos sweet spot and honed in on it, holding him close and didn't release his lips as he forced himself up to his knees, supporting the blond with his arms, cradling him close as he thrusted faster, skin slapping against skin, the bed below them creaking loudly.

Suddenly, Sono ripped his mouth away and hid his face in Naokis neck, gasping out,

"Oh god...oh god...Naok...Naoki...I can't...I'm gonna cum..."

Gripping his yellow locks, Naoki forced Sono to kiss him again before mumbling against his mouth,

"Cum for me. Show me how I made you feel. Prove to everyone you're not broken. Prove to me you can finally let go of yourself. Fucking cum for me! Oh shit!"

Naokis own words betrayed him as his hips started moving so fast that he saw white spots in his vision, a final thrust and a loud moan of Sonos name in his skin...the blond in his arms let out an equally loud sob of pleasure at that.

Tears rolled down Sonos cheeks as he felt Naoki erupt inside him, triggering the first orgasm of his life. How he lasted so long without it was astounding, but he didn't care at this point. It felt...amazing wasn't the word to describe it, in truth. He wasn't quite sure how.

He felt hot, sticky, sweaty, and cold at the same time. He barely registered when Naoki settled him back against the bed, breathing heavily in his pillow. But it was quiet all the same.

Finally, Naoki lifted himself up and stared into those eyes, deep brown eyes, and kissed him, already feeling Sonos fingers trail back to his hair, smoothing out the damp tangles. When they broke apart, Naoki started chuckling, earning a strange look from Sono. The teen rubbed his neck and said,

"I forgot to grab a condom...my bad."

Christ, if Sonos face would ever return to its normal pale. He lightly punched the teens arm and said,

"Well, that explains the gross feeling in my body...should've figured."

"You're so mean, rich boy. And here I thought you loved every second of it. You certainly sounded like you did, what with your moans and screams. Not bad for someone whose never slept with a guy before."

Naoki laughed at his own dumb joke and slowly moved so he could pull out of the blonds body....but was stopped when Sono gripped his wrist, looking at him with a pleading look...

"Could we...stay like this for a while longer?"

"I suppose we could, but honestly, as nice as you feel, I feel a little oversensitive. Haha. Let me clean us both us and then we'll cuddle as much as you want."

Naoki couldn't help but laugh at the pout Sono gave him, but chose to say nothing as he slowly pulled out, earning a shuddering gasp from the both. Naoki was a bit surprised to feel a little...cold without the feeling of Sonos snug body around him, but knew that they couldn't exactly stay like that for a long time.

With shaking legs, Naoki got out of bed and grabbed some nearby wet wipes, cleaned off his softening member before turning to tend to his friend, almost surprised once more by the look on the blonds face.

Sono was entirely blissed out; there was obviously a look of heavy emotion sitting in his features, but other than that, he looked...different, more relaxed.

Naoki said nothing as he cleaned his friend up, thoroughly, and tossed the wipes into the trash before grabbing the tray he set on his nightstand, settled back in bed and handed a cookie to his friend, who took it with a smile.

They continued to say nothing as they ate their cookies and drank their water and eventually, Sono sat up, wincing at the pain in his back and leaned his head on Naokis shoulder. Said teen smiled, kissed the top of his head and soon, reached over to grab his smokes and open his nearby window, noticing the rain died down a while ago.

Sono watched as he lite his cigarette, blowing his smoke into outside air, almost entranced...he tapped on Naokis leg and asked,

"May I?"

"You serious? You know how much trouble I could get in for allowing Kenji Hanasaki's baby to smoke with me?"

"First off, we still don't talk. Second, if we did, you know how trouble you'd be in if it got out you actually slept with me?"

Naoki eyes him for a second before busting out laughing, wiping his eyes and said,

"Fair point. Here, just pace yourself. It's rough in the beginning."

Sono gripped the smoke from Naokis hand and pressed it against his lips, inhaling slowly, feeling the burn of the nicotine race down into his lungs, the urge to cough fighting back at him. Naoki patted his back as he coughed out the smoke, going back to try and found it was much easier the second time around. Naoki chuckled and plucked the cigarette out of the blonds hands and flicked it out the window.

"There, you had your rebellious fun....in all serious though...how do you feel? I wasn't too rough on you?"

"No...I feel...I feel great....like a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders...god, Naoki, you have no idea how long I've wanted to tell someone about what happened to me...it feels...so good to finally feel free of that burden."

Naoki smiled and wrapped his arms around the blonds head, kissing his hair and layed him back down, his hand caressing his face, letting Sono vent out his feelings.

"For years, I kept that secret so hidden that...I was afraid of telling anyone...I was scared they'd reject me or...I'd just end up alone forever...I didn't think that...it affected me so much...but with you, I felt so comfortable and calm..I don't why I was so scared to tell you in the beginning."

"Probably the same reason I couldn't tell you my true feelings back then. Fear. I knew it was a dangerous things, falling in love with you when you were with someone else and I was too. But I'm happy I was able to tell you. And that you reciprocated. I figured you had feelings for me too, but I didn't want to press my luck."

Sono smiled and turned over on his side, leaning over to kiss Naokis forehead, the way the older teen used to do with him, and said,

"We're a bunch of sappy losers."

"Haha, that we are. But we'll be sappy losers together....let's get some sleep. Tomorrow's Sunday and I don't have to work."

"Wait a second...don't just avoid the elephant in the room, you twit."

Naoki peered up at his friend, who was glaring daggers at him, enough to where Naoki sighed and sat up with him.

"Yes?"

"Naoki...what are we now? Are we still best friends?"

"Of course we are. Nothing about that has changed. Though honestly....I wouldn't mind flaunting you around as my boyfriend, if you want the truth."

Immediately, red flags in Sonos brain went off at that idea, but Naoki smiled and stopped him with his hand, saying,

"Relax, I won't say anything about us. I know what your home situation is like. If your dad finds out you're fooling around, like actually fooling around, with another guy, I think he'd have a literal heart attack. Plus, I know how the others at school like to gossip. For your sake, love....we'll keep it a secret."

Sono felt like crying once again at just how understanding Naoki was being. He didn't even need to ask or say anything; Naoki just knew...he always knew.

With a heavy smile, Sono settled himself back down and Naoki reached over to turn off the lights, wrapping his arms around the blond and kissed his head, whispering his love before closing his eyes.

Sono was too excited to sleep; so much had happened in the last few hours and the adrenaline was sky high. He had a chance to start something new....with someone he loved so much. Naoki would be his second chance, as well as he could be Naokis. It seemed perfect.

And just as Sono shut his own eyes to fall asleep, he had to ask,

"Naoki? Quick question....when you told me that'd I'd find my own special someone to love me...you were talking about yourself, weren't you?"

There was a pause for a few moments before Naoki chuckled, saying,

"And here I thought I wasn't making it obvious enough."

Sono couldn't help it at that point.

He went to sleep with a smile on his face. It was the first time in years he had been able to go to sleep happy...

And wake up happy at the same time.

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yuletide Greetings, everyone! 
> 
> This was a long delayed piece of work and I'm so glad I got it done literally 8 hours before I set my own deadline. 
> 
> Sorry for the wait! Holidays are a pain to maneuver.

_December 22 nd_

 

Soft eyes opened ever so slightly to stare at the clock on his right, squinting as he read the red neon numbers spell 2:45 am. Another early morning of waking up well before his alarm, but unlike before where he would ingest some sleeping pills to go back to sleep, Sono would smile and nuzzle his pillow, suddenly too eager to go back to sleep and wanting instead for the sun to rise so he could get on with his day.

Schools all over the city had sent the students on Holiday break early, which was surprising if not odd, but not one student complained about it. Some of them were on vacations with family while others studied for final exams in the upcoming months.

The latter was clearly something that Sono would have been doing had it not been for the incredible happenings in his life that distracted him from school work. Things like his art, his submissions for his manga club, which would later be sent to his first choice school for consideration...things like the holidays, where his mother and father would be leaving for Tokyo and leaving him in Fukushima, per his wishes, and in keeping his mother well satisfied that he'd be safe, she agreed that he could stay with Naoki during that time should he chose to.

His smile widened just a touch at the thought of his best friend and the wonderful things that man had done for him these last few weeks. Ever since that night after his brothers wedding, it was like the veil had been lifted from Sono's eyes and he was gifted a beautiful new vision of his life, an idea he had no idea he'd be this happy for. A feeling he had felt once before with someone else, but never on this level.

Love...he was feeling true, deep and indescribable love...for Naoki of all people. How could he not? The signs were everywhere. The way he acted and doted on him all these years...the level of protection and support he received from him after all the chaos that transpired...it was almost overwhelming and Sono found he loved the feeling more than he cared to admit.

This was a kind of love he hadn't expected to feel from anyone after Takeo left. Maybe even while the teen was still around, Sono didn't feel the same form of love from Takeo that he felt with Naoki.

It almost felt too good to be real.

His thoughts drifted to that first morning after their first time together...and he blushed as he recalled how nervous he was to be around Naoki at the time. But the older teen simply smiled and kissed him good morning, holding him close in his bed for several minutes before getting out of bed to find them clothes.

In the end, Sono had to wear some of Naoki's old things considering his pajamas were still in the dryer downstairs. And while the blond had never thought he looked good in darker colors, blacks and dark reds, he couldn't help but stare at himself in the mirror that morning, admiring the way his friends old metal t-shirt fit him so well along with a pair of old dark grey jeans. He smiled a giddy smile, only gasping when Naoki came up behind him and hugged around his skinny waist, kissing his hair and told him how sexy he looked in his old clothes. Sono was certain his face was beet red when they walked downstairs to get his clothes and phone.

Naoki helped reset both of their now dry cellphones while Sono sat in the small living room, hearing the bustle of business downstairs in the shop and smiled, suddenly wanting a vanilla muffin for breakfast and casually joked about it to his friend....Naoki went down and bought Sono two muffins and a cup of coffee.

After they ate and downed two more cups of coffee (Sono decided he really liked the taste of coffee after an emotional experience), Naoki offered to drive him home. So he did...and they were quiet the entire ride. Neither of them said a word to each other, exchanging some glances and embarrassed smiles here and there, before the teen pulled into the blonds driveway, Sono instantly seeing that his father wasn't home and he exhaled loudly. It would have been a horrible morning had he been forced to explain his whereabouts...wait...his mother knew...and maybe that was enough.

With a smile, the blond thanked Naoki for the ride and mentioned that he'd call him later in the afternoon. Just before Sono got out of the car, he was stopped when Naoki gripped his shoulder, turning him around and gasped when their lips connected. The older teen was passionate about it, gripped the back of his head, his other hand rubbing his knee in a soothing motion. Sonos eyes rolled back into his head, kissing back with equal effort, shaking hands taking hold of the teens jacket.

The emotions of last night came flooding back, tears threatening to leak from his closed eyes as his trembling fingers latched harder onto the teens coat, the feeling of his hand soft and gentle in his golden hair. When they broke apart, Naoki kissed his cheek and told him that he'd see him at school the next day if they didn't get around to their calls. Sono smiled blissfully at him, getting his things and got out of the car, waving as Naoki drove off the other direction.

As he watched the teen drive off, Sono lowered his hand and pressed it against his chest, feeling that same feeling he felt early this morning that he could only describe as something akin to love...still, he had no word for it. He smiled to himself, brushing his bangs from his eyes as he turned to walk inside his house, removing his shoes and shut the door, ready to go take a shower and start his homework and maybe restart a drawing he was working on.

However, when he turned around, he was greeted with the ever sharp glare of his mother, arms crossed against her chest and her brown eyes like daggers at him. His own eyes widened for a moment, gulping down any excuses he had to calm her down which would probably fail in hindsight.

Naomi sighed and didn't budge from her stance as she said,

"Sono Hanasaki, I swear to god...you are going to put me in an early grave with how much you make me worry about you. It isn't enough that I worried all through your brothers wedding because I wasn't sure how you or your father would act around each other...but to get a phone call from Nazawa-san to tell me you 'somehow' ended up at Urimatsu and Naoki had to go get you and how you looked like death the second you walked in his house...you don't even stop to think about the things that have more than likely crossed my mind when you act this way...though I can't say I blame you..."

Another sigh from her and Sono tilted his head, confused as to what she meant by that last sentence. She uncrossed her arms and walked towards him, him taking a small step back, afraid she was going to take a page from Kenji and smack him for acting out again...or whatever the hell he was doing now.

Naomi didn't seem too offended that her son stepped back from her, though her eyes softened and she ran her hands through her own yellow hair, saying,

"I haven't exactly done much to help you deal with your father, so I'm not surprised when you act this way and don't even stop to think about how you put your own mother through such hell. I see that now. Always have. But dammit, you're still my son and I worry about you so much. My oldest recently got married and my baby is graduating high school in several months...I'm not ready to let go just yet without at least trying to understand you again."

Finally, she got up close to him and hugged him tight, her soft hands on his back and in his hair, cradling him close like she used to do when he was a kid. The familar sense of maternal love washed over the teen like a wave and he relaxed almost instantly. She was warm, always had been, giving him a blanket of comfort he needed over the last few years. Since Chino, since his father, since Takeo's disappearance.

"I need you to promise me that you'll stop being so damn reckless. I understand that you've been hurting in ways I can't grasp, but I'm your mother. I should be there for you if you need me. And I feel like lately you haven't...be as honest with me as you used to be. Again, not saying I blame you, but I'd like you to try. I don't want you to leave us without giving us a chance to know our son again...Kenji knows this too, but you know how he's been. Stubborn as a pack mule...more so than ever...but even still. Can you at least try if we..or I...promise to try too?"

Oh the things he could say right now, but couldn't, because there was a lump in his throat and he tried to swallow it down, finding it hard to think of something to say to his mother, who was hurting just as much as he was for different reasons. He could think of no reason to justify putting her through such pain lately and he felt like such an ass about it. She was right; she couldn't blame him for being so distant, but considering he was graduating in a few months, he owed it to her to at least let her in again.

He nodded against her chest; it was enough for her and she smiled, kissing his head and thanked him, told him she loved him more than anything and that she'd be there for him if he ever needed her to be.

Years of being emotionally hurt by his father made him forget his mother was still there, still willing to accept and understand his pain and try to help him. The idea of it all made him smile. Naoki may be the reason he was still alive, but his mother was the reason he still had a roof over his head, food to eat, love to be had and then some. It was a comforting thought that he never knew he needed until now. So much love was being tossed his way that it was almost overwhelming. Not that she needed to know the other bit right away.

Eventually, they broke their hug and Naomi smiled at him, hands on her hips and mentioned for him to go finish his school work that she knew he blew off for the wedding, and that Kenji was working late due to taking time off for Oto and Miyuki. It was that last bit that made Sono freeze as he walked up the stairs, a frown on his face and a soft sigh leaving his lips.

It was the same thing every year, without fail. Kenji had ended up moving into the suite of his work office, something he did often every year before the holidays to get himself ahead and take time off later.

It didn't seem much now, but Sono had hoped that since this was their last Christmas together before he went to Tokyo, they could try and patch things up between them, rebuild their father/son relationship that was crushed by years of hurt and neglect.

But since Kenji announced they were spending the holidays in Tokyo with Oto and Miyuki and since Sono didn't want to put his family in another tense situation, thereby offering to stay with Naoki if he could be left behind while they went on this trip, it didn't seem like Kenji wanted to try and make things right between them.

The thought hurt, but Sono was willing to look past it for now. There was still time for them to make things work.

God....it seemed like yesterday that all the emotions finally came to the table, but that had been weeks ago. And even still, with all the positive progress Sono seemed to be making, Kenji still hadn't said a word to him about anything. He thought for sure he'd be angry that Sono wasn't going to Tokyo with them for Christmas, but he had otherwise seemed unbothered by the news.

A sigh left the blonds lips as he rubbed his eyes, constantly watching his clock and saw that it was now 3 am...he groaned. It was too early for all these thoughts to be buzzing through his brain.

Maybe his weekend with Naoki could finally put him to sleep and stay asleep. The teen had a way of relaxing every iota of his body and not even just with sex...and there was the blush creeping back up to Sonos face, hiding it from no one with his hands, feeling how hot his cheeks were getting.

Shivering a little, Sono peeked through his thin fingers and caught a glance at the picture near his clock and he smiled, reaching out to grab it, stared at it, eyes softening at the memory.

The picture was taken in downtown Fukushima, where all the Christmas lights dominated the shopping centers and streets. The two boys were heading that way for gift ideas for their families, but got distracted by a photographer taking couples photos. Naoki had jokingly mentioned that they should have a 'couples' picture too, to which that conversation ended with Sono kicking the older teens knee so hard he dropped to the snowy walkway. But of course, the blond couldn't truly say no and they ended up getting a photo in front of the large white Christmas tree at the center of the shopping district, with Sono practically climbing Naoki like a tree, hugging around his shoulders from behind and his legs wrapped around his strong waist.

The photographer laughed at the two of them, saying that they had a seemingly beautiful friendship and even gave them a discount on the picture. Neither of them wasted time in getting the picture copied and bought two frames for them. They played around with the idea of getting the picture shrunk to fit in their lockets, but both of them agreed that their lockets meant something else to both of them. They each kissed the gold around their necks and left the store, with Sono saying something about wanting a hot chocolate and a daifuku.

That was 5 days ago and since then, Naoki had to work double time with his father at the shop during his break, which was fine with both of them. Sono had been busy himself, working on his applications for universities and spending time with his mother around the house.

Speaking of which, he should probably force himself out of bed and take a shower at least, just to wake him up. It might be early, but this way he'd be ready to do whatever chores she'd give him for the day, which wasn't much but it was something to keep his mind busy.

He struggled to sit up in bed and rubbed his face with his hands, forcing himself to crawl out of bed and into his bathroom, turning on the light and made his way to his shower, turning the water to a medium warm. As the water began to heat up, he reached into his bathroom closet and grabbed his black bathrobe, setting it on the counter and began to undress....but not before looking at himself in his mirror, a blush creeping on his cheeks as he inspected the state of himself, something he had been doing a lot more of recently.

He looked better. Not a lot to really be noticeable, but he could see the changes all this positive energy was doing to him. He didn't look like a zombie anymore. His brown eyes were glowing and his body looked only a little more fuller. He had tried to start eating more and more again, with Naoki's help, and it seemed to be helping a little. But as not as much as Sono would've liked. He still looked terribly thin.

Reaching up to his head, he twirled a long blond strand around his finger and groaned. His hair was getting much too long, but hated the thought of asking for another haircut...maybe after the holidays, he'd suck it up and cut it himself again.

Or he could ask his mom to do it again...or even Huri-san to do it during the break. Whatever.

With a heavy sigh, Sono made his way into the shower and immediately gasped at the hot stream over his skin, instantly scrubbing his hair after dumping his shampoo over it. The smell of citrus filled the bathroom and it relaxed him a bit, his mind wandering to the upcoming days. His mom and father would be leaving later tonight, which meant he'd have a few hours of chores with his mother and hopefully get to talk to his dad before they left.

Then he'd have to pack and if he recalled, Naoki would pick him up an hour before his parents were supposed to leave. He was grateful Huri said yes to him sleeping over for a few days, even more grateful that he had given Naoki the time off so Sono wouldn't be sitting in the house alone for 8 hours a day.

His skin was trembling with how excited he was; it had been a long time since he stayed with Naoki for more than a few days and this time, it wouldn't be because of any traumatic family problems. This was him spending the holidays with someone he cared for and loved....his best friend...his best friend turned lover...his first real lover...

Sono stopped scrubbing his hair and let the water wash the suds from his locks as he really mulled over what Naoki was in his head. It still surprised him how big of a step they took with each other. The emotions, the raw heart that went into their talks, it touched the blonds heart so deeply he couldn't fathom how he couldn't see it to begin with.

He really did love Naoki...so much that it hurt him. Maybe that was how Naoki felt for years before finally coming to terms with it. And now there was nothing for them to be afraid of anymore. Sure, they couldn't really flaunt this new love in public yet. That would complicate things.

And it wasn't like Sono was oblivious to the stares he got at school now, more so from Ami Minora's friends than anyone else. They would just stare at him with a look of either disgust or confusion, as if they couldn't believe Naoki would break up with Ami for someone like him.

It was a stigma that hit Sono hard, something he didn't care to think about. He didn't like the idea of them thinking that he was just a rebound or even something worse....Naoki was his best friend and he loved him. What's so wrong with that.

And if he wasn't getting those looks from them, he was getting very calm, yet very death like glances from Ami herself. She hadn't said anything to him, hadn't even approached the issue at all, but Sono could always feel her gaze on his back,in their art class making him nervous as he tried to focus on his work.

Thankfully, Naoki was always at his side throughout the day and it always made him feel better about everything else. They would eat lunch together on the roof or in the classroom, ignore everyone else as they made plans for after school, provided Naoki didn't have work or practice.

He smiled under the stream, suddenly bursting with unusual confidence.

Who cared what the others thought? They could think all the things they wanted to. No one knew about the true extent of their friendship and if they did, Sono wasn't going to let it bother him. He loved Naoki and Naoki certainly loved him. And he admired the fact that they could keep themselves calm at school together, not giving anyone else a reason to question them.

After graduation, things would be different. Maybe then they'd be able to tell people about them. And maybe, just maybe, Sono could get his father to approve of his choices, just to hear Kenji tell him how proud he was of him or hell...just to hear his father say he loved him again was enough.

Maybe then, things could finally be better than they already were.

Sono's smile continued to beam as he washed his body and conditioned his hair, finally feeling awake and lively as he turned off the water, stepped out of the tub and quickly dried himself off before putting on his robe and walked back into his bedroom, seeing how it was now 3:45.

Plenty of time to get some work done before his parents woke up. Raising both arms up and stretched, feeling his bones pop loudly, he grinned and walked over to his desk, turned on his table light and went over the recent practice manga sheets he had in front of him. Many of these were part of the application process to enroll in the best art school in Tokyo and some of them were for his manga club. Either way, just looking at these papers made his smile burst as he grabbed a pencil from his holder and took of his application pieces and picked up where he left off.

The piece was simple as well as the prompt for the application: Create a manga based story based on an important event in your life and explain why it would sell.

Not even thinking of choosing a terrible moment of his life, Sono opted for the moment that stuck out the most for him, something he didn't think he'd be so happy to draw.

His prompt, as he called it, was 'Storia d'amore Inaspettata'....an unexpected love story.

As to why it would sell, he'd have to consider that once he finished the piece. It was a long one, longest he had ever done so far and it was coming together beautifully.

He had the two characters meet up suddenly in a tower, one admiring the other from afar and the other busy with some task. Finally, after ages of work, he finally got the point in this story where the two characters realize they loved each other, coming together in one night of passion and love. Sono certainly didn't shy away from graphic; he wanted all his emotions on this page, in this story, show the readers how he felt when creating it, the spark of his inspiration, the true feeling of his young love.

He worked through the remainder of the morning, not realizing the sun was starting to rise, shining through his window. His hand had a mind of it's own, his eyes darting from page to page as he drew, writing dialogue, setting up stages. He felt his mind racing with more ideas each time his heart beat against his chest, papers now being stacked next to him neatly as he continued to work.

It wasn't until he heard a knock at his door, followed by his mother opening it and leaned against the door way, smirking at the pile of papers and her son hunched over his desk, still focused on the current paper.

"My my, someone's been a busy bee. Did you wake up early again?"

Her voice caused his hand to suddenly stop and his head snapped up at her, her smirk only deepening as he smiled up at her, nodding and dropped his pencil on the paper, getting up to stretch and lean over to look at his clock.

8:35 in the morning. He had busted his hands for over 5 hours without even thinking about it. He smiled. That was probably his best push yet.

Turning to look back at his mother, who was admiring one of the papers, he blushed as she said,

"It's coming along so smoothly, baby. It's hard to believe you've been working on this for over a month....if they don't accept you with this, then they're a bunch of nutcases who don't recognize talent. You ready to submit it?"

Sono smiled wide, but shook his head.

"Not yet. I'm working on the last few bits of a conflict between the characters, then I'll give them a happy ending. If I don't include some sort of force that threatens their love, it won't be relatable and I'll never convince people to buy it."

Naomi laughed in her hand and nodded, walking over to ruffle his hair, saying with some snark in her tone,

"Every relationship has it's speed bumps, but the strong ones go right over them without any fear. I'm curious about the conflict you'll come up with. Any ideas?"

"Not any so far, but it has to be big. Like...like maybe an ex comes back into the picture or one of them has to leave for a new job or something. I need a good hurdle for them to get over. Do you think if I ask Naoki, he'll let me watch those stupid romance movies he's so obsessed with? Just to get ideas?"

"Haha, I'm sure he won't mind. Speaking of which, you'll wanna get dressed and come downstairs. Breakfast is almost ready and you and I have some housework to do before we abandon this place for a few days. And before you ask, your father already left so there's no awkward moments. Ok?"

With a nod and a soft sigh, Sono stood from his desk and stretched once more, feeling the bones all down his back pop in three different spots. He let out a strained moan of relief before going over to his closet and reached in for a shirt and jacket, then went to his dresser for a pair of boxers and jeans, all while his mother watched him with close eyes, observing the way his ribs protruded his chest when he stretched his arms to put on his shirt, or the way his legs were so skinny that she was afraid his bones would snap one day.

She frowned to herself; how is it she was just now seeing how her son really looked after all these years? Granted, he always wore long sleeves and baggy clothes when not in his school clothes, so she didn't really question it. But now that he was partially naked...it was almost scary to think about.

The feeling of eyes on his skin made Sono stop to stare as his slipped his shirt on, tilting his head as he could see the conflicting look on his mothers face. He knew exactly what she was thinking.

He chose not to address it; he smiled and buttoned his jeans, slipping on a belt and put on a pair of black socks before walking up to his mom, grabbed her arm lightly and said,

"So, what'd you make for breakfast?"

Naomi shook her head a little and chuckled, running her fingers through his long hair, mumbling something about rice and eggs with sweet bread and coffee. A small meal considering they had a lot to do before the afternoon came around.

Sono nodded and smiled softly at her, following her out the door and down the hallway, chit chatting along the way.

She did take a moment to address her sons clothing, dark as it was, and chuckled loudly, asking, 

"Since when did you start wearing dark clothes? Are you trying to be edgy or something?"

Gods, the laugh that left her sons mouth....she never realized until now how much she truly missed that laugh.

 

\--

_Several hours later_

The sound of the phone ringing loudly through the house almost caused Sono to fall back first off the ladder he was standing on in the lounge, wiping the stair rail and watched his mother answer it, wiping her forehead and set her hand on her hip, nodding a little every few seconds.

"Yeah....yeah ok...yeah, we're almost done here anyway...that's fine, I'm packed anyway...god, alright I get it. I'll be ready when you get here. See you soon."

She hung up the phone and sighed to herself, looking at up her son from his spot on the ladder, a sad smile on his face.

"That was dad, wasn't it?"

"Yeah, it was. He's nearly finished with his last minute paperwork then he's heading this way. Wasn't Naoki supposed to come get you soon?"

Taking a moment to juggle the duster under his arm, Sono reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, seeing that Naoki did in fact text him only 10 minutes ago, mentioning he was running a little behind, but that he'd be there to pick him up in the next 5 minutes. Once he told his mother, she smiled and nodded, mentioning for him to get down and get his stuff together and that he could dust once their vacations were over with.

With a sigh, the blond slid down the ladder and was ready to disassemble it, but was stopped when his mother touched his shoulder, looking at him with a smile and said,

"Leave it. What's the worst that could happen right now? Go up and get your stuff. If nothing else, I'll force your dad to put it away."

Bless his mother and everything about her in this moment. Sono beamed as he ran up the stairs to his room and grabbed his over night bags, stuffed only with a few changes of clothing, his bathroom supplies, art books, some of his favorite movies and above everything else, Naoki's Christmas gift.

The blond smiled to himself as he tried to juggle it under his arm, throwing his bag over onto his back and walked out of his room, only half way down the stairs when he heard the doorbell ring loudly, his smile growing as he watched his mother answer the door, her hand on her hip with a coy grin.

"And am I to assume you're here to kidnap my son for the next few days?"

The sound of a deep chuckle made the blonds heart race wildly, a deep red blush on his cheeks as he heard his best friend say,

"It's not exactly kidnapping if he agreed to it. Then it's just him running away with me mutually. Of course, with your blessing Hanasaki-san."

Naomi laughed to herself at that, her hand pressed against her mouth as she turned to her son, her laughing slowly turning into soft chuckling. Confused chuckling at the sight of her childs red face, but she didn't bother questioning it as she said,

"Well? Are you ready to spend time away from your dear mother? Something you haven't done since you were a child?"

Sono smiled a little bit, knowing the inside humor she was going for, but when he adverted his eyes, her face fell, thankful that she had her back turned to Naoki. But before she could say anything, Naoki looked past her and smiled at his friend, almost beaming at him before waving.

"Morning, Rich Boy. I've come to whisk you away for the holidays. Ready to go?"

The blond didn't immediately look at him, but smiled to himself, blush still fresh on his cheeks. Naoki smiled softly, looking him up and down, already feeling his own heart beat against his chest.

God, his friend was undeniably cute, dressed head to toe in adorable dark clothes, something he felt personally proud of for getting the blond started on. It truly made his pale skin look like it was glowing, his blond hair looked like a fresh golden hue.

And he seemed to be packed to the nines. Two pretty good sized bags and what looked to be a large...packaged...thing. That certainly caught his eye.

When Sono finally looked at him with a soft grin, Naoki smiled even wider. This was going to be a perfect week. He'd be sure of that.

\--

 

They left about 15 minutes later, with Sono wishing his mother a fun trip to Tokyo and to tell Oto and Miyuki he said hello. His mother only smiled at him, kissing his head and told him to have a good time with his friend. After that, they piled all of Sonos luggage in the truck and they drove off down the road, the blond waving good bye to his mom.

Finally, once they were out of the residential area and onto the service roads to the city, Naoki let out a long exhale and said,

"Woohoo, and just like that, a week of peace and quiet, mostly anyway. I thought finals were a pain in the ass, but man it was just building up to this glorious time off. Between us though, I think I failed my Japanese history exam. How sad is that? Had way too much to think about instead of some stupid test. What about you? Do you think you passed them all?"

The blond smiled and looked out the window, not really answering his friends question but more or less enjoying the idea of being out of the house for longer than a day. He knew he was excited to get away, but nervous all at once. He remembered his mother being excited for him, but his father gave him a....questionable stare.

He didn't like that stare, really. As if Kenji somehow knew....whatever it was Sono thought he knew. But there was no way. He didn't make anything too obvious with his own excitement, just the thrill of spending Christmas with his best friend. But still. It made him nervous.

In fact, lots of things about this week were making him nervous. It wasn't like he hadn't stayed over with Naoki once before. He was used to sleeping over at his friends house. He did once in middle school and again just before he and Takeo...ended things.

But now, things were different. Everything was so different between Naoki and Sono in all the best ways. This would be the first time they'd be near each other with such intimate circumstances.

Not that Sono was complaining. He never truly knew how much he'd enjoy the physical effects Naoki had on him and vice versa. They had done so much in such a short time and even though in the beginning the blond dreaded anything and everything about sexual afflictions with just about anyone, being with Naoki felt...cleansing.

Every touch, every kiss felt like Naoki was cleaning parts of Sonos body that he felt were soiled or horrid to his eyes. No matter what the teen did, Sono felt like he was riding on a cloud, grounded only by Naoki's hands. God above...he couldn't stop thinking about it since that first night. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about it now.

He started to fidget, fingers playing with the hem of his jacket, a blush on his cheeks as he continued to stare out the window, watching the city turn into apartments and shops, indicating they were almost to Naoki's home. It almost felt like a second home to him, a smile creeping on his cheeks as the fidgeting stopped, his hands resting on his lap as he felt the car turn into the alley where Naoki always parked and soon, the vehicle was turned off.

Then, it was quiet. Almost too quiet. It would have made Sono terribly anxious had it not been for the way his friend reached over and gripped his hand over his lap, making him look at him and was almost taken aback at the soft look on Naoki's face. The way he held his hand, rubbed his knuckles with his thumb and leaned over the parking gear to kiss his cheek, making Sono grin like a fool.

When Naoki backed away, he smiled at him, saying,

"Ready to head inside? My dad's covering the shop until about 4 before the closing staff comes in. We have the place to ourselves for a bit. Wanna watch a movie? Get comfortable? Unless you wanted to do something else."

The blonds smile grew as his blush faded to a soft pink, taking one of Naokis hands and pressed it against his cheek, kissing his palm and nodded, saying,

"Whatever sounds good to you."

Naoki grinned and Sonos face flushed again. It was going to be a long week.

 

_December 24 th_

 

There was something magical about watching Naoki work behind the counter of his dads job. Granted, it wasn't supposed to happen, but otherwise unforeseen situations forced Naoki back on the clock for the day.

Bluntly put, the person who was covering Naoki's shifts for the week came down with a nasty case of the flu and as such, being the holiday season, Huri was unable to find coverage and asked his son to work just for one day. Naturally, Naoki was none too thrilled about leaving his friend alone just to work a few hours, but Sono insisted that it would be fine and even joked about how cute he'd be in his work element.

The older teen was annoyed but sucked it up for the extra tips, all while he was subjected to not just the usual customers of the day, but of his best friend throwing little wads of paper at him from his booth.

He smirked.

"Keep it up and I'm not saving you any of these sweet rolls you love so much."

Sono chuckled, leaning his chin on his palm and flicked another wad of paper at him, watching as Naoki swatted it away. The blond smirked at him, saying,

"You'll save me some and you know why? Cause you love me, obviously."

"Love can only be tolerated on so many levels, you twit. And you throwing paper at me isn't faring well for you. You're lucky my dad likes you, otherwise you would've been tossed out ages ago."

The smirk on Sonos face only grew as he leaned further on his table, saying,

"And I know you wouldn't have let him. I know you too well, Nao. Now, get me a sweet roll and some coffee before I complain to the manager on duty."

Naoki laughed at him, wiping his eyes a little before turning to the espresso machine, started it up and reached over to pull a sweet roll from the display. After he plated it and turned to finish the cup of coffee, he brought both over to his friends table, set them down and said,

"You mean me, right? I'm the only one on staff until 4. You're such a brat."

The blond stuck his tongue out at him, but smiled as he watched his friend walk back behind the counter and greet a customer as they walked in the shop. It gave Sono the chance to truly look at Naoki in such a way he hadn't really seen before.

He had seen him in his school uniform and he always looked handsome. He had seen him in his basketball clothes and their gym clothes and somehow, even when sweaty, Naoki was always attractive when trying to stay in shape.

This...this was a new kind of attractive that Sono had never seen before and it was more of a stranger kind of sexy.

In his work clothes, which consisted of a black button up shirt, blue jeans and a white apron, along with the fact he tied his wild brown hair back with a hair tie, this was....terribly attractive. And that smile he gave people when he served? Sono knew that it was what Naoki would call, 'his customer service smile', but damn it was still such a wonderful smile. It made everything else come together so perfectly.

The blond chuckled at the thought and picked a large piece of his sweet roll apart, popping it in his mouth and gave a soft soft at how delicious it was, even paired with the slightly bitter coffee.

He had only been in for two days and it was a wonderful experience so far, provided they spent most of their time either in the shop doing recreational work or in the living room watching movies. They hadn't really done much of anything else, considering Naoki had to step out and help his dad with some business tasks, but Sono didn't mind at all. Just being with his friend was more than enough for him.

After a few moments, the customer left with only a few gift cards and some wrapped pastries, leaving Naoki and Sono alone in the shop, the older teen sighing loudly and leaned against the counter, looking at his friend saying,

"God it's so slow. The day before Christmas and I'm stuck on the floor until the closing guy gets here. I doubt we're even gonna be that busy."

Sono laughed and leaned back in his booth, licking some icing off his fingers and said,

"You never know. People always go out and get holiday cakes the day before. Business might be crazy tonight and you might get called in to help."

"Screw that. These last few days I've just wanted to spend with you and things keep getting in the way."

"Oh come on, your dad just wants to spend time with you. It is Christmas after all."

Naoki groaned and leaned harder on the glass counter, rubbing his forehead.

"I know, but still. The only real alone time we've spent together is when we go to sleep. And he even thinks you're sleeping on my couch or I gave you my bed....I won't lie to you. I don't like lying to my dad about us..."

There was a look on Naoki's face that made Sono sit up suddenly, get up from his booth and walk over to his friend, pressing his hands on the counter, tilting his head at him.

"Naoki...I...I'm sorry. I know how badly you want to tell him about us...and I'd love you to. Believe me, I'd love to be able to be so...affectionate with you in public...but you know my situation. If my dad finds out, there's no telling what he'd do to me. He'd throw me out. And my mom wouldn't be able to stop him. I-"

The blond stopped talking when he felt Naoki lace their fingers together on the glass, leaning forward so their foreheads pressed together, looking deep into the blonds dark eyes. Sono flushed a little, but relaxed when Naoki gripped his hand tighter, saying,

"It's alright. I'm not all that upset. I don't mind keeping us a secret a little while longer. Besides, graduation will be here before we know it and I intend to make us public when we're no longer considered students here. Just you wait. I have something planned to make us happy with the wait."

Even while they were so close together, Naoki could see the beautiful blush forming on Sonos cheeks and he smiled, leaning closer and said,

"Before you ask, it's a surprise. But I don't mind giving you a heads up on it. You'll just have to wait until tomorrow. You'll like it. Trust me."

"Ugh, you know how I feel about surprises, Naoki."

"I do know. But I also know how you feel about me. And I don't have any doubts that you'll see where I'm coming from soon. Just be patient. I have to tell myself that alot these days. But for you, I'll wait 100 years."

The blush on Sonos face darkened and he adverted his eyes, only to widen them as Naoki lightly gripped under his chin and pulled him in for a short kiss. It was unexpected and Sono felt himself panic for a split second. Naoki never once kissed him in public like this, if at all, and even though the shop had no cameras to record them, the blond was still plenty cautious.

He kissed back gently, only whining when Naoki pulled back and smiled at him, patting his cheek and removed himself from being so close. Sonos blush faded a little and he backed up from the counter, a chuckle ripping from his throat and nodded, saying,

"Well then, in that case, I can only hope you like your present from me."

"If it's from you, I'll love it."

They both smiled sweetly at each other, chuckling to themselves before the sound of the door opening brought them back to reality. Still with a smile, Naoki straightened up and began his usual banter of 'welcome. How can I help you today?'

Of course, when Naoki eventually opened his eyes and the mood suddenly shifted for the most awkward. Sono turned to see who walked in and his eyes widened considerably, face paling quickly. Even Naoki looked shocked.

"Ami?"

She didn't look too terribly surprised to see the two of them here, but her blue eyes glared daggers at Sono all the same. He shrunk back under that gaze, not really knowing what to do at this point. But from behind him, Naoki glared back at her, clearly not liking the way she was staring at his friend.

"What can I do for you today, Ami? Your usual blueberry scones with tea?"

She sighed and shook her head, walking up to the counter, her blond hair swinging back and forth, her eyes deep with conflict. As she made her way up to the counter, she said,

"No. Nothing like that. I wanted to talk to you."

Naoki scoffed and looked to his friend, who was clearly uncomfortable with the sudden happenings. It made the older teen slightly angry, but kept his calm as she finally got up to the counter, her hands settling on the glass, blue baring into brown.

"And what might that be?"

Ami exhaled through her nose, occasionally looking at Sono, who was silent from the moment she walked in, and figured his presence was going to be short. At least, it would be soon.

Finally, she looked back at Naoki, who was still sternly looking at her, and she rubbed the back of her neck, saying,

"I...I've been thinking about the fight we had a while ago. And well...I'll admit I may have overreacted. I understand that friends are important, but I was just annoyed that you were putting your friendship above everything else. And I really mean everything else....but I'm willing to put it behind me. I guess...what I'm trying to say is...I messed up by walking out on you that day. I want to try and give us another chance."

The sound of the cars driving by outside, not to mention the sounds of vents in the kitchen behind him, where the only things making any noise in the area. Naoki was dumbfounded. His eyes widened in surprise, not 100% positive he heard her correctly. But when he turned to his friend, seeing the horrified look in his eyes, he knew that he had heard her right.

And in the span of a second, his gaze switched from surprised to enraged all at once.

"You...you want to what? Give us another chance? After everything you said to me? Ami, need I remind you of the horrible things you said about not me...but my best friend? You called him desperate and dependent. That he relies on me too much, well you know what? Maybe I like that. Maybe I like being useful to someone who really gets me. Who doesn't mind letting me do the things that I want to do. You always made me choose and I hated that. I didn't think I could ever win with you. And now that I feel free, now that I can finally do the things that I want to do...you waltz into my dads store, like you freaking own the place, and expect me to take you back on a whim?"

Needless to say, Ami was not expecting the amount of venom spewing from Naokis words. She backed up a little, looking at Sono, who was just as shocked at the way his friend was speaking and when she looked back at Naoki, she glared at him with darker gazes, stammering her words as she tried to defend herself.

"H-hold on a second! If I ever made you feel like you were smothered, why didn't you tell me?! I could've backed off!"

"I tried to tell you, but you and your friends always made me out to be the bad guy every time! Even if you didn't intend to, the very idea that I had to always choose between my girlfriend and my best friend drove me crazy. I hated it! I don't like feeling like I can't moderate my own loves in life without being made out to be a fucking villain."

"That's not fair, Naoki! Now you're turning it around on me! I just wanted to give us another chance because I know we can try again!"

"And what if I don't want another chance. Huh? Did you ever stop and think I'm happier without the stress of choosing sides? I have my future to think about and I'm not wasting time anymore. I have so many plans and now that I finally have the means to do so....I'm not just going to sit by and watch it slip through my fingers. Not again."

If Ami was more observant, she clearly would have noticed how Naokis eyes slightly shifted to Sono as he said that last little bit, but in her furious state, he could understand why she didn't pay a lick of attention to that. Her blue eyes were wide and blazing, her fingers scrapping on the glass counter and balled up into fists.

It seemed as though she knew she wasn't going to get her way here. With a furious scowl, she straightened up and turned on her heel, stomping out of the shop and slammed the door, the small bell ripping from its rope and crashed to the floor, alongside some glass cups hanging from the shelves, shattering upon hitting the tiles.

It was quiet for a moment, but Naoki sighed and rubbed his temples for a moment before turning to grab a nearby broom and dustpan. But the moment he reached for them, he was stopped by a pale hand on his arm, a stunned look on his face as he watched Sono shake his head slowly and grab the items himself. Naoki watched with a confused stare as his friend walked over to the mess and began sweeping it into the dustpan, never saying a word.

Naoki continued to watch as his friend cleaned up the mess, tilting his head, noticing how sullen the blonds face had gotten suddenly.

"Sono? Are you ok?"

No answer. Just a look of sadness and utter confusion. Naoki hated that look. He'd hoped to never seen that look on his friends face ever again.

He clenched his fists as Sono knelt down to pick up large shards of glass, dropping them into the dustpan. His mind was racing.

How dare Ami just....just come in here and make a mess of things. How dare she come into his life again and upset the person he loved so much without even looking him in the eye. It wasn't like him to be so angry about things like this but dammit, he felt liberated when he and Ami broke up. The fact she was wanting him back like nothing happened made his blood boil.

"OW! Dammit!"

Naoki came back to reality quickly when he heard Sono exclaim in sharp pain and caught a glimpse of blood running down his fingers. Anger shifted to panic as he jumped over the counter and ran over to him, ripping off his apron and took the blonds hand, wrapping the apron around the wound and pressed, not caring that the white fabric would get stained. At his feet, he saw a piece of glass lightly dressed in blood. With a short scowl, he kicked it under a shelf and wrapped his free arm around the blond, kissing his head and said,

"I'm sorry. I didn't know she was going to come in and ruin the good mood like that. Shit...I should've known though. I know her well enough to know she's not gonna take no for an answer. And if she does, well, it won't be pretty. But I'm sorry. You shouldn't have been involved in that....here, lets get your hand cleaned up. There's a first aid in the kitchen."

Naoki flipped the open sign to closed and quickly flipped the clock over to say they were on a quick break before leading Sono into the kitchen and told him to wait for a moment, opening a cabinet and pulled out a first aid kit. After setting it on the ledge of the sink, Naoki had his friend lower his hand under the faucet, slowly removed the apron and cringed at the blood leaking from his middle finger. Quickly, he turned the water on, setting it to warm and had Sono hold his hand under it for a few moments, washing the blood off and hopefully, not cause any more shed.

Both boys noticed the cut wasn't very deep, just long and striking, even while Naoki sat him in a nearby chair and dried his wound, wrapping two band-aids around it before looking for some medical wrap.

Neither one had said a word at first, but once Naoki started wrapping Sonos finger with gauze, the blond found his voice and asked, trembling as he did,

"Do you still love her?"

The question was so sudden that Naoki tightened the gauze a bit too much, making Sono hiss and the older teen adjusted quickly, covering the gauze with medical tape and said,

"Is this about what she said earlier? That she didn't know she was smothering me?"

"....sure...."

Naoki tried to smile, but felt every bit of his loves doubt and fears through his skin. He looked up at him, brown locking with brown and took the blonds injured hand in his, kissing his fingers and said,

"If you're asking me if I feel the way I about you, but about her, then no. Not even a little. I told you before. I don't think I was ever really in love with her. Not in the way I'm in love with you. Honestly, you know better than to doubt that."

Sono blushed and itched his nose, but sighed and said,

"I know, I know. It's just...she seemed really angry. And it seems like she still really....loves you. I don't want to be the one getting in the way of what makes you happy."

Naoki looked perplexed, but smiled up at the blond before pulling them both to their feet and wrapped one arm around his waist and his other hand buried in his golden hair, lips pressed against his forehead.

Immediately, Sono melted in his embrace, eyes closing when Naoki kissed his skin, his hands gripping his work shirt and felt a whimper of delight leave his lips.

When Naoki pulled away, he brought Sono closer and said,

"Idiot...you're what makes me happy. I told you. I've always loved you in some form or another. And now that I have you, I'm not letting you slip away again. Not if I can help it. And as for her sudden rekindled affections for me, she'll just have to deal with it or move on. I love you. I made you a promise that I'd always love you and be with you no matter what the circumstance. Just ignore her. She'll tire herself of this rejection eventually."

Sono chuckled at that, nodding as Naoki lifted his chin up and brought them together for a kiss, a soft kiss, before pulling apart with a smile, poking the blonds forehead with two fingers, saying,

"Better?"

The blond laughed to himself, rubbing his forehead and nodded, making Naoki chuckle with him.

The sound of the front door opening made them both jump suddenly, but Naoki relaxed as he heard his father call out,

"Nao? What's going on? Why is the sign flipped to close? Where are you?"

"Back here, dad! Sono cut his finger and I was tending to it."

Sure enough, Huri appeared through the door and sighed, saying,

"Well, that explains the glass on the floor. What happened?"

"Oh, Ami came in and had a hissy fit and slammed our door. Some of our old glasses broke and Sono was trying to clean up and ended up slicing his finger on a piece."

Huri nodded, taking Sonos injured hand and looked over the wrapped finger, sighing again and muttered,

"I don't even wanna know why she showed up. Ever since you two broke up, it's like she has to take it out on my store. Whatever...are you alright though, Hanasaki-kun?"

"Uh haha, I'm ok. Naoki fixed me right up. I just can't feel the finger at the moment. It'll pass."

"That's why you should be more careful when dealing with glass. Never pick it up with your bare hands, no matter how it looks. And shame on you, Naoki. Making your friend clean up a mess left by your annoying ex."

"Hey hey, he took the broom without saying anything to me."

"Well, I can't very well punish him. He's not my son, as much as I treat him as such. You're just being careless."

Naoki sighed heavily in defeat before nodding and Sono laughed a little to himself. But just as Naoki composed himself, he asked,

"By the way, why are you here so soon? I thought you weren't coming in until 4 with the closing crew?"

"That was the plan, but I took a look at sales today and saw how slow it's been. I figured I'd cut you loose early and cover until they get here. That way you two can hang out or something before tonight. Just not terribly late. We're opening late for the holiday and I want to at least make you both breakfast in the morning."

"Don't expect us to leave the house, haha. It's too cold to do much of anything anyway. We'll just watch movies downstairs. Then tomorrow, we'll have a big old breakfast and open presents and just be merry. Are you closing early?"

"God, here's hoping. Now get out of here. Naoki, I'll sort out tips later tonight. That way you'll make some extra cash before the new year."

Naoki smiled and thanked his dad before leading his friend out of the kitchen and into the dining room, flipping the sign back to open and mentioned that they were leaving. He got a loud grunt as a confirmation as the boys walked out of the store and into the back alley that led to their homes front door.

Once inside, Sono plopped himself on the couch and sighed loudly while Naoki strung through the different movies, trying to find something interesting. All the while, Sono smirked and said,

"Hey, what did you get me for Christmas?"

He heard a chuckle before Naoki turned to face him, winking at him and said,

"I told you, it's a surprise. You don't see me asking what you got me."

"Right. And don't think I haven't noticed you eyeballing your gift that I brought. Every day I catch you staring at it, as if you're gonna see right through the packaging. And you call me impatient."

While Naoki was sliding the movie into the player, he smiled. God the blond was too cute when he was snarky. It was one of the things Naoki just adored about him. He stood as the movie started to roll it's opening credits, but payed little attention as he made his way to the couch Sono was seated on, sliding next to him and kissed his lips roughly, his tongue sliding into the blonds mouth, drinking up the squeak he let out.

The teen moved them so the blond was on his back, one foot planted on the floor and the other awkwardly placed on Naoki's hip as they deepened their kiss, Sonos hands gripping his friends shirt.

It was then he realized Naoki was still dressed in his work clothes, his hair still pulled back, some brown strands hanging loose over his face and the blond felt speechless when they broke apart. Naoki was so handsome...so devilishly attractive....and Sono felt his heart throbbing in such love.

Naoki noticed the dazed look on his friends face and smiled, reaching up to undo the tie in his hair, letting his brown mop of hair fall free and whisper,

"I've been waiting all day to kiss you like this. If I didn't get to shower you with my affections, I think I was gonna lose my damn mind."

Sono chuckled as Naoki moved to kiss his neck, nibbling the soft skin there and smile at the soft moans leaving the blonds lips, vibrating his throat.

Truthfully, there was nothing stopping Naoki from doing this in the mornings when they first wake up. But considering he was used to waking up early while Sono was finally catching up on sleep he missed due to stress, the only real thing Naoki felt right doing was kissing his cheek before he left the room to get ready for the day.

Now that they had some time to themselves, he was going to take full advantage of their time and give his friend the love he wanted to give him for days now.

Still pressing kisses to his neck, Naoki's hand drifted lower to the blonds stomach, tickling his exposed skin and went even lower, lightly ghosting over his groin, smirking when he felt the blond twitch under his fingertips.

Since that first night, it was incredibly easy to flip the switch and turn Sono on, considering he was still so new to sexual intimacy. Not that Sono minded. Every touch Naoki gave him was like a new jolt to his senses, a feeling he didn't ever want to fade away.

And Naoki knew when to stop. If Sono felt uncomfortable for some reason, everything would either be put on hold or stop altogether.

And as much as Sono was absolutely loving the attention Naoki was giving him, he felt kind of weird doing this on a couch. To make a point, he tapped Naoki's shoulder with two fingers, a signal they had and just like that, Naoki lifted his head and asked,

"Everything ok? Do we need to stop?"

"No no I'm fine. Really. It's just...well...do you really want to do this on your dads couch? Not that I'm not enjoying it, it's just...um..."

"Oh! Haha, I see. Oh love, you're funny. I wasn't planning on doing anything like that in the living room. I just wanted to make out with you here, in the comfort of my home, with no one to bother us. Granted I get why you'd see it like that; my feeling you up certainly doesn't help much....but, if you wanted to have some fun here, I'd find that exceptionally hot."

Dear god, Sonos face was red, he could already tell. Not to mention the fact he was pulsing in his dark jeans wasn't making matters any easier, especially since he still felt embarrassed by wanting something from Naoki in this sense.

If he were being honest, he'd want nothing more than to have Naoki ravish him on this couch, leave him screaming and demanding more, but the sour parts of his mind made him against the idea, that Naoki would think him a pervert if he asked.

Thankfully, Naoki seemed to read his mind like a champion, and he smirked, whispering in his friends ear,

"Do you really want me to stop? I will if you want, but I need you to tell me. Remember what we talked about. Constant consent and communication. I won't know unless you say something."

And that right there is why Sono loved Naoki so much when they were like this. Given Sonos past with Chino and the mental and emotional scars it left, being introduced into sex was a challenge, even if the first time seemed so simple.

Naoki was always asking what Sono wanted him to do, always made sure he was feeling comfortable and good, always asking if they needed to stop at the first sign of Sonos discomfort.

Any other person would probably find this trait obnoxious and annoying, but Sono found it to be unbelievably arousing. The fact that another person cared that much for his own pleasure and desires...it made his heart melt.

Wrapping his arms around Naoki's neck, Sono whispered back into his ear,

"Don't stop. Make me feel good, Naoki."

He could feel Naoki smile against his neck, kissing the vein there and whisper back, voice wet with want,

"Anything for you, Sono."

 

_December 25 th _

_Christmas_

 

"Come on, rich boy! The tarts are getting cold!"

Sono chuckled and told his brother he loved him before hanging up the phone, ecstatic that he got his Merry Christmas phone calls out of the way.

He called his mother first, then Miyuki, which led into Oto being given the phone and even got a chance to wish his father a Merry Christmas....he even got a genuine response back from him, making Sono all the more giddy.

Everything about this morning was just all around pleasant. He was woken up by the feeling of Naokis lips on his head, his warm hands rubbing his back and his sexy voice in the morning, rough with sleep, whispering to him,

"Morning, rich boy."

Immediately, Sono was ready for the day. They went downstairs and marveled at the lavish breakfast Huri prepared for them. A combination of Japanese and American breakfast favorites, complete with coffee, tea and juices fresh squeezed. Sono had never eaten so much in his life and even joked that he'd maybe gain his weight back just from breakfast alone.

Naoki didn't seem pleased with the joke, but went along with it nonetheless as Huri laughed it off.

After breakfast, the boys helped clean up and reset the table before going into the living room, where Huri stood there with two envelopes and a smile on his face.

Naoki smirked.

"Oh? This is a bright change of pace. Every year, you get me new movie stuff or even new posters to hang. What's this small thing?"

"Oh shut up, you brat. I figured this was a better gift to the both of you."

Naoki laughed and took both envelopes, handing one to Sono, who took it with shaking hands, not expecting his best friends father to get him a gift.

However, neither teen was expecting to open the envelopes and find cash in them....not just cash...100,000 ¥ for each of them. Naoki looked shocked. Sono looked unbelievably astounded. And Huri just chuckled.

"I've been saving up a bit over the last few years to give Naoki a little extra spending money for when he goes to University. When he got with Ami, I started saving for her too but since she's no longer in the picture, and I happen to like you a lot more, her part is going to you, Hanas-...Sono-kun. That'll hopefully help you both out a lot more than I'm thinking it will."

Naoki attacked his father in a huge hug, thanking him over and over again while Sono stood there, open envelope in hand and tears in his eyes. This was so much more than he ever thought he'd expect from Huri Nazawa and he felt....loved in a different way. He smiled and hugged the man, thanking him for such a generous gift.

After the gifts were exchanged, Huri left to open the store and both teens decided to curl up on the couch and watch some ridiculous holiday movie Naoki wanted to see. All the while, Sono was glancing up at him, eager to give him his gift, internally praying that he'd like it.

It took him a long time to put the finishing touches on it, but overall, it came out nicely....at least, he hoped it did.

But Naoki was insistent that they wait until tonight to exchange their gifts for each other, just so they could eat dinner with his dad before he had to go support the closing staff. Sono had reluctantly agreed and settled back on the couch, sipping his coffee and chuckled at the horrible romantic comedy Naoki was forcing them to watch.

 

\--

 

Night time came so quickly that Sono barely noticed it getting darker. By the time he finally caught wind of the fact that it was dark, Huri was shuffling in with a smile, mentioning he was on break for dinner. That was when Sono realized Naoki had been going back and forth from the kitchen a lot today, presumably to work on dinner while his father was working.

Dinner came and went quickly as well; roasted chicken with soy and ginger, rice and a small Christmas cake specially made from the shop. It was a beautifully put together meal by both men and Sono found himself smiling as he ate his slice of cake, imagining what it would be like if Huri knew about his son and...well, himself.

After dinner, Naoki did dishes as Huri went back to work, but not before kissing Sonos forehead and told him to wait upstairs in his room and that he'd be there soon.

Suddenly bursting with anticipation, Sono's heart started racing as he ran up the stairs and into the room, grabbing his present for Naoki and waited on his bed, trying to calm his heart beat. This was it....this was everything he wanted to give to Naoki, right in his gift. He had worked for weeks on it, juggled school work and manga practices for it and now he could finally show it off.

Would he like it? Would he remember the moment he made Sono watch the most weirdest thing he had ever seen, but was captivated by its artistic style? He wasn't sure. But he was willing to bet Naoki wasn't going expect a thing.

After what felt like a near eternity, Naoki opened the door and sauntered in with a smile and a loud exhale.

"Sorry about that. Dishes seemed to go on forever and I had to go to my fancy hiding spot for your gift. Haha, but everything's done now....and I see you're anxious to exchange gifts....should I open mine first?"

Sono nodded quickly and stood up, planted the gift on the ground and smiled at Naoki, walked over beaming, getting on his knees to tear off the wrapping paper, first seeing a large frame. Sono saw the teens brow quirk at it, but continued to unwrap it, finally tearing it all off and once he removed it, his eyes widened, constantly looking up at Sono, who was flushing hard pink, back to what he was looking at.

It was a painting...a gorgeous painting...and after looking at it for a few seconds, Naoki knew instantly what it was of.

"This is...how...how did you.."

"It took a bit of time, but I finally got it together. I haven't really painted in so long, so I'm glad it looks as good as it does. I...remember you and I watched this once together and how you said it's your favorite silent film...I also remember seeing that posters for it were like, stupid expensive. So, I came up with a great solution. But a lot of emotions went into painting this, Nao. Lots of emotions about you."

Naoki looked up at his friend, who was now totally red in the cheeks and a dangerously adorable smile as he spoke.

"Each time I sketched a demo piece to work off of, nothing looked right. I had this planned for a long time, even before you and I...confessed to each other. After we did....after we....after I had my true first time with you...it was like everything clicked into place and I realized why none of my original sketches looked as good as I wanted them to. It's because my emotions for you were scattered all over the place. One minute you're my best friend....the next...you and I are suddenly in love with each other. And I fueled that with every bit of my drawing. When I finally got the sketch done, it was already so close to Christmas that I had to hustle. I used my allowance money to buy the paints I needed, the canvas, the frame, everything. I wanted everything to be perfect...everything you make me feel went into this. And I hope I got as close to the source material as possible. But...I wanted to create something for you...of something you really loved...I won't lie, I cried once it was finished and dried. I was so scared that I had ruined it, but after a lookover, it was beautiful. And I hope you like it...because...well...I love you and..."

Sono stopped talking when he found he couldn't find the rest of his words, his blush heating his cheeks something fierce. He couldn't even look down at Naoki to see his reaction, but when he felt hands over his, gripping the frame, he finally looked at his best friend, eyes wide when he saw Naoki was looking positively overjoyed. He didn't say anything; he simply kissed him, full of thankful love and Sono found himself wanting to cry.

He liked it...he liked his painting! Oh Sono could just die happy right about now.

When they broke apart, Naoki smiled, took the painting gently and settled it carefully against his desk before returning to the blond and got down on one knee, taking one of his hands and pressed it against his face, kissing his palm.

Sonos blush faded to a softer red at such a display, even as Naoki whispered,

"I have a feeling my gift pales in comparison to the amount of time, love and emotion you spent with mine....but then...hopefully it gets the same result."

"Oh Nao, what are you talking about? Anything from you is enough to make me happy."

Then came a look from Naoki that Sono had never really seen before. His brown eyes were glassy, almost as if he was ready to cry, but there was a determined hopefulness in them as well. Without breaking eye contact, Naoki asked him,

"Sono, answer me honestly...do I really make you happy? Do I truly make you feel loved and everything in between?"

What?

Where had this come from all of a sudden?

Sono tilted his head and tried to laugh nervously, waving his free hand and said,

"What? Of course you do. Why would you ask me something like-"

"Because I have to know. I want to be perfect for you. I know I tell you all the time to not doubt my love for you, but...sometimes...I have my own doubts. Not about your love for me, but more like...am I doing enough for him? Am I truly enough to make him happy? Do I have what it takes to be the person in his life to make him see how much I love him...how much I've always loved him? I ask myself these questions all the time and well...sometimes, they keep me up at night. But I figured I'd ask you right here and now. Do I truly make you happy?"

Had they not been down this road before, Sono would've broken down into tears already with the way Naoki was questioning him. But since that first night, and presumably every day since, Sono felt...happier. He felt more confidence in himself to get him out of bed in the morning, survive through school, be with Naoki even if they had to keep it a secret. He was more outgoing with things, he was trying to reconnect with his father and previous experiences aside, things seemed to working out. It was true.

Sono was much happier than he had been in ages. And he could thank anyone that came to mind, only, one person came to mind.

That one person was the one who helped him through his panic attack the first day they met. That one person helped him through such a difficult point in his life where everything seemed dark. That one person put everything in his life aside just for him when he shouldn't have had to. That one person....the person kneeling in front of him now...

Naoki...the man he loved so much for doing everything for him, to make him stronger, to make him proud of himself...to make him feel loved.

To make him happy.

Sono smiled and took one of Naokis hands, pressed it against his cheek and nuzzled it, saying,

"Oh Naoki...words can't express how happy you make me. Since that night....maybe even longer before that....everything you've ever done has made me feel more alive than I've felt in years. You put so much on hold for me and I know you're tired of me saying you shouldn't have...but I'll be selfish and say how much I loved it. I never knew love could feel this powerful and give me such a stronger will to carry on with life. And that's all because of you. You've given me a reason to try harder, not just for you but for myself. And I'm going to continue to try harder, for both of us. I want to repay every bit of kindness and love you've given me and I promise, if it takes 100 years, I'll work hard to make you as happy as you've made me."

The look on Naokis face was something Sono couldn't offhand read, but the smile that came with it told him just enough as Naoki pulled him in for a hug, kissing his ear and ruffled his hair, while Sono gripped onto his shirt, fighting the urge to cry like he usually did in emotional situations like this.

This hug seemed like it went on forever, not that Sono minded, but he was starting to wonder what all this had to do with Naokis gift to him. He wanted to ask, though Naoki didn't give him a chance to. He instead pressed another kiss to the blonds ear and said,

"If I asked to be the man who stood by you for those 100 years...would you have me?"

A pause....a very deafening pause.

Sono slowly backed up from the hug, looking into Naoki's brown eyes with a wide stare, mouth agape as he tried to form words.

Once again, Naoki beat him to it. He took both of Sonos hands in his, saying again, much more determined this time,

"If I asked to be the man who would be by your side until the end....would you have me, Sono?"

No words left the blonds mouth. He was still trying to piece together what Naoki was really asking him.

Averting his eyes, he was starting to stammer, not seeing how Naoki smiled and moved one hand into his pocket, all while the blond closed his eyes, trying to wrack his brain around Naoki's...bizarre question.

Hell, Sono had many questions himself, but nothing seemed to follow the demands of his vocal cords. So when he finally opened his eyes, his intent was to look at Naoki and simply nod, unable to form words.

When he turned his head, he found his muscles frozen in place, eyes wide and gasps left him rather than words. He was certain his eyes were playing tricks on him, they had to have been.

He blinked a few times; the sight was the same. And almost as quickly as he dreaded, tears started to form in his eyes.

Because if his vision really was correct, it looked as Naoki Nazawa was still on one knee, a small box opened in his hands....a box that held a simple silver opal gem ring.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To see the poster referenced, I hope this link works  
> https://d9nvuahg4xykp.cloudfront.net/-9060143786501875968/-1850811849620086984.jpg
> 
> Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, hope everyone has a fantastic holiday season. Hopefully, a new chapter will be out before the new year, but if not, it'll be a new years gift!


End file.
